


Put Me Back Together

by NunchiGoya



Series: Fix Me [1]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Creepy Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter), Dominant Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter), Gay Character, Hisoka's Bungee Gum Nen Ability (Hunter X Hunter), Killugon Week, LGBTQ Character, Little Brothers, Married Hisoka/Illumi Zoldyck, Mentioned Illumi Zoldyck, Minor Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Multi, Nen (Hunter X Hunter), Nonbinary Character, Oblivious Gon Freecs, POV Killua Zoldyck, Protective Killua Zoldyck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 31,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27173734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NunchiGoya/pseuds/NunchiGoya
Summary: Slight variations, Killu’s family kidnapped Gon and Killua chose to return him to his family rather than kill Gon. They meet a stranger named Iku who stands between them and a peculiar joker. Hisoka makes his pass at Iku (challenging them) and then retracts seeing Iku injured. With some Help from Killua and Gon, much to Killua;’s distaste, the three decide to travel together to get Gon back to his parents as soon as possibleLGBTQ workHisoka x IllumiLight Killua x GonIku (OC)  non-binary, Asexual
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Hisoka/Illumi Zoldyck
Series: Fix Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983439
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter: Iku

I lunge at the man, my side cut wide open, my nen is exhausting too quickly. The man laughs and strikes again nailing me in the side.   
“Darn it, what’s wrong?” I pant, pressing my hand to my side to staunch the bleeding.   
“Your nen is so strong, it’ll keep me full for weeks.” The man laughs and absorbs my nen.   
“That makes a lot more sense.” My knees give, my life energy depleting too quickly. “But knowing doesn’t actually help me at this point!” I scream annoyed, this far, this far and I can’t even win against this weakling, I was so close, I was basically right there.  
“Hey you!”   
I found the source of the voice “Hisahito?” that’s impossible  
“You leave him alone!” A boy flies across the field, nailing the man in the face with a powerful kick.   
No… he’s too strong to be Hisahito  
“Here.” Small hands steady me and press into my side. “let me help you.” That voice is as young as the other one.  
“I don’t need pressure, I need to heal, can I borrow some energy?” My nen is reaching already. I need permission before I can take any energy but it gives the wrong idea if someone feels it before I can ask.  
“What no!” His reaction isn’t unusual “How much?”   
Despite my blood spilling out of me and my nen dangerously depleted, I smile “you’re smart.”   
“Here, you can use mine.” The first boy, the one that reminded me of Hisahito, grabs my hand. “Go on, it’s okay.”  
“Gon!” The other boy snaps. “You don’t even know her, you don’t even know what it does.”   
“I think you mean him, Killua.” Gon laughs.  
“This is definitely a she.” Killua holsd me out as if I was a doll.   
“We’ll ask him when he’s better.” Gon squeezes my hand. “Go on, take some.”   
I open the channels of our nens.   
“I still think it’s a bad idea.” Kie grumbles.   
“We already decided to help him, and if he keeps bleeding he’s gonna pass out.” Gon offers his hand again.   
“I don’t care–”   
“I do, and he’s not bad.” Gon’s tone was final “Go on.”  
“Oh wow!” Gon laughs. It’s so warm. The boys watch the bleeding slow and stop but the wound isn’t fully healed by the time I let go of Gon’s hand.  
“Thanks.” I breath a sigh of relief.   
“But you’re not all the way healed.” Gon looks at the half-healed gash in my side.   
“That will heal on its own. The bleeding was the most dangerous part.”  
“Here, you barely took any, finish healing.” Gon grabs my hand and puts it back on my side.   
“You have such potent energy, so lively,” I laugh “I barely needed any.”  
“Use more, I want you to be completely healed, if someone attacks you again you’ll be at a disadvantage.”   
“Your friend doesn’t look like he’s happy.” I chuckle.   
“Pfft.” Killua scoffs “whatever, just take the energy, looks like you don’t need much.”   
“It’s that not bad of an injury, no vital organs.” I consider the two boys.   
“Are you sure?” I ask again, there a slight twinge in her heart, these two boys were about the same age as my brothers would be now. What are they doing out here on their own?  
“Take it.” Gon smiles.  
“Just do it, already, I don’t have all this time to waste.” Killua shoves his hands into his pockets. “Besides, you’re not strong enough to hurt us, we just had to save you so…” he shrugs  
“You did have to help me.” I admit. “Thank you but keep in mind a battle isn’t always decided by whose stronger.” Gon is absolutely enthralled as my skin knit back together. He has such expressive eyes.  
“This feels so cool.” Gon grabs Killua’s hand and places it over my side. “Take some of his energy.”   
“What! NO!” Killua yanks on his hand but I oblige Gon. I recognize the look on Killua’s face, it’s relaxed, joyful, refreshing.  
“What the hell?” Killua yanks his hand back, suspicious.   
“I can convert energy from others into healing energy for me, the feeling you get is a combination of my special abilities, it doesn’t have any ill effects towards you. Someone has to offer the energy willingly, so you had to want to know what your friend was talking about before I was able to use any energy.”  
“What’s your special ability?” Gon ask.   
“We’re not that friendly, kid, sorry, but I will tell you the condition I put on it is that it helps whoever offered me the energy, it’s like a massage for your nen so anything I borrowed replenishes faster.” I give Killua a bit of a smug look “refreshing huh?”   
“It was okay, it wasn’t amazing or anything.” Killua rolls his eyes.  
“I felt so warm.” Gon smiles “like my nen was being hugged”  
“Gon isn’t hard to impress.” Killua takes his hands from his pockets and locks them behind his head.   
“So, your name is Gon.” I extend my hand “thanks for the help, it’s great to meet you.”  
“You too, that healing ability is so cool.” Gon smiles brightly. “This is Killua, he’s just suspicious.”   
“I’m Iku.” I extend my hand to Killua. “Suspicion is a good thing, especially for two young boys traveling alone.”   
“Well… you’re not a complete idiot.” Killua sneers. Granted, they did just have to save me but Killua seemed the type that was used to taking care of things himself.  
“Not a complete idiot, no, I have my moments though.” I shrug. “Now, what are two small childGon doing on their own?”  
“Look at the pot calling the kettle black.” Killua snaps “you’ve got to be younger than us.”  
“I am an adult.” I snap “I’m just short and I have great skin.”   
“Yeah, right you’re like five inches shorter than me...four inches shorter than Gon.” Killua smiles mischievously at Gon. Gon pouts and I have to rub my eyes to get the image of Hisahito out of my vision it’s not him I plaster on a smile.   
“You’re really an adult?” Gon asks, scrutinizing me.  
“Now listen here–” A powerful nen cuts me short, both boys freeze.  
“You feel that, Killua?” Gon asks.   
“Hisoka.” Killua trembles and I can’t blame him. That is some kind of nen.  
“wonder what he wants.” Gon seems nervous but less concerned than Killua.   
“You’ve made a new friend, Gon.” Hisoka’s attention is solely for Gon. I step in front of him and Killua.  
“Don’t fight him.” Gon grabs my wrist. “He’s strong.”  
“I can feel it, but I don’t like how he’s looking at you.” I ready to fight if needed but I’m not going to start this fight, this guy is too strong to take head on.   
“He’s never really hurt me, he just kind of shows up.” Gon explains.   
“He’s a total stalker.” Killua stands ready to fight.   
“I just swung by to check on you boys, traveling all alone is dangerous.” Hisoka saunters toward them. My nen swells. Killua shoves his arm out to block Gon.  
He’s knows something’s up I ignore that for now, there is an obvious diffeGonce between these two boys.   
“Don’t get all worked up.” Hisoka bends at the waist to look me directly in the eye “I’m not here to fight anyone, just checking up on Gon.” Hisoka uses his claw-like finger nail to tilt my chin up, “unless you’d like to fight, you have a strong nen, little boy.”   
“Ha!, I told you, Killua.” Gon pulls his bottom lid down and sticks his tongue out.   
“You’re both wrong, she’s a girl.” Killua snaps.   
“I’m neither, actually or both.” I correct him “I don’t mind either.” I whirl on Hisoka “and I’m just short, I’m twenty–three.”   
Hisoka scrutinized me “Are you sure.”  
“I know my own age!” I snap.   
Hisoka shrugs “ah well.” He saunters passed me, both Killua and I tense when Hisoka patted Gon’s head.   
“I’m not all that concerned.” he looks over his shoulder and eyed me “but if you hurt him I’ll kill you.”   
My jaw drops as Hisoka takes his leave.  
“Wait what?” I look at the boys “what?” I ask again.  
“Your guess is as good as mine, I still don’t trust him.” Killua shoves his hands into his pockets again, nervous tick maybe.  
“You don’t trust anyone, Killua.” Gon laughs.   
“I don’t trust him especially.” Killua snaps “and you trust people way too easily, if I went around trusting people like you do youd’ve have been kidnapped or killed five times over.”  
“That’s not true!” Gon snaps back “I don’t trust anyone, just the ones I get a good feeling about, like…” Gon looks at me “what’s your name?”  
“Iku.” I laugh at them I know they’re not, but they’re just so much like Hisahito and Marise   
“You already figured our names out, huh.” Gon holds his hand out “but my mom says I always have to be polite so, I’m Gon and this is my best friend Killua.”   
“It’s nice to meet you.” I take his hand and extend a hand to Killua “care to formally meet?” I ask.  
“Whatever.” He surprisingly does take my hand “Killua, I’m a professional murderer.” He smiles, baring his teeth as predatorily as possible. I’m not impressed.   
“You’re good at killing, you don’t like it.” I smirk back at him “baring your fangs isn’t going to scare me, Killua.”   
Killua considers me, he doesn’t trust me, I doubt he will ever trust me but it seems I’ve caught his interest.   
“What’s a little kid like out doing all alone?” Gon ask.   
“I’m an adult!” I narrow her eyes at him “I can’t tell if you actually think I’m a kid or are just trying to get on my nerves.”  
“You look like you’re the same age as us.” Gon laughs scratching the back of his head.  
“I’d say younger.” Killua teased leaning over her “how tall are you? 4 feet?”   
“I’m 4’8 and I just have really good skin.” I glare at the annoying little boys “you guys are just like my broth...ers” I swallow the emotion bubbling up in my throat and shake myself “does that man show up a lot?”   
“Um… sometimes.” Gon shrugs “usually when we need help.”   
“Really?” Something is off here and despite the fact that I have my own things to attend to, my mouth opens “I think I’ll travel with you guys for a bit, you guys are too young to be out by yourselves with a creep following you around.”   
“No thanks, we can take care of ourselves.” Killua grabs Gon’s arm. “Lets go.”   
“We can’t just leave her here.” Gon hisses to Killua.   
“She’s not our problem.” Killua shoots back, “besides she’ll slow us down.”   
“What if Hisoka comes back, he always does something we don’t expect.” Gon glances back at me.  
“What does that have to do with us?” Killua demands, not bothering to mask his obvious annoyance “for all we know she’s just as much of a creep.”   
“Kie, she’s coming with us.” Gon declares. “Iku, lets walk together for now, theres safety in numbers.”  
“Gon.” Killua snaps, I pat his head “don’t worry, Killua. I’ll only stick around for a bit, just to make sure you guys are safe.”  
“For the record.” Killua crosses his arms and looks down at me “we’re the ones that are making sure you’re safe.”  
“That’s very kind of you.” I offer a softened smile and watch something shift in Killua’s eyes, the fight in his eyes softens   
“Whatever, I don’t care.” Killua dismisses me and walks beside Gon. I linger a few steps behind the boys, if anything is going to sneak up behind them it’ll get me first.   
Get a grip, Iku, you need to get home.


	2. Chapter 2: Killua

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua’s family was hired to take Gon, instead of killing him, Killua saves Gon and swears to get him back home. Killua and Gon run into a new friend. Killua is reluctant about it but bends to Gon.

Chapter 2: Killua   
Iku walks with her hands in her oversized hoodie, with her face upturned toward the sky, the setting sun making everything softer, my hands are locked behind my head, relaxed, or appearingly so. Iku’s eyes are almost consistently on me.   
Gon strolls with his hands out, swinging back and forth, a huge smile on his face. When I slid a glance back at her, Iku is smiling with Gon,. That isn’t all that unusual Gon is contagious.   
“We’re gonna take a break.” Iku declares.   
“Who made you the boss?” I snap “we don’t even know if you really are older than us, you could be younger than us, you’re so small.”  
“You both need to eat.” Iku fixes me with a look that did make me hesitate, its like that look mother’s gave kids when they were done with an argument. My mom even had one but it didn’t work nearly as well as Iku’s just had.   
“You’re not the boss of us.” I snap again “We’ll eat when we’re hungry.” Iku and I stare each other down. Iku smiles and holds up her hand.  
“Five… four… three..”  
“What are you doing?” I yell at her “you’re being weird, knock it off.” My hands curl into fists, we’ll fight right now if she doesn’t knock it off  
“One”   
Gon’s stomach grumbles loudly and then mine too, as if in answer. My face got all warm, I yanked my hood up and hide my hands in my pocket. Moment like this hate how pale I am, if I got embarrassed at all it was so obvious. Even a few shades darker, like Gon’s, would be better.   
“You’re hungry.”  
“How the hell did you know that?” My face is still hot. Iku produces a knife from her hoodie and in one flick I lose sight of the knife. The thump from the tree behind, followed by a short screech drew my attention.  
“I’ll make us something.”   
“Oh yeah!” Gon cheers “Really, thank you.”   
Iku, in under five seconds, snatches the two squirrels she had hit, skins them and gets a fire going.   
“Gon, you’re familiar with the edibles out here, right?” Iku’s eyes are focused on her task but change when they land on Gon.  
“You bet” Gon smiles “I’ll get some.”  
“Thank you.” Iku smiles after the Gon. Her eyes got all soft looking at him, its definitely weird.  
Her eyes flicker, for just a half a second but there are tears there, like seeing Gon was like seeing a ghost for her.   
“So you have us timed already?” I sit down beside her and watch her cook.   
“Habit.” Iku’s answer is a dismissal, she doesn’t want anymore questions about it.   
“You brothers?” I press anyway. Her entire body locks up, it was even less time than that look she got, but the fluidity in her movements was obviously interrupted.   
“Please don’t ask questions about my brothers” Iku’s eyes darken, her entire frame wilts   
I almost felt bad about it, Iku is drowning in whatever she saw then why stick around us.   
There’s a few seconds where she’s just still, so still I thin she’s stopped breathing. Slowly she straightens back up, she turns the squirrels and then she smiles, just like that, like I didn’t just see that. I bet she thinks we’re dumb.  
“Maybe I’ll introduce you.” Her hands have the slightest of tremors but she’s back to normal.   
I got everything I wanted from that. Something happened that separated Iku from her brothers. Maybe she had to leave and hasn’t been back since, she might feel incredible guilt over letting them grow up without her. She might have been sent away by her family, she might not be allowed to see them and is concerned she won’t get to see them even after making it back home.   
“Got stuff!” Gon’s arms are full, most of it I recognize but some of it is new, local stuff.   
“Just in time, meats, almost done.” Iku stands. “Give it five more minutes, I’ll be right”  
“Where are you going?” I demand.  
“Kill more food, you think I haven’t noticed how much you guys eat?” Iku scoffs. “I’ll be back, stay put.”  
“You still aGon’t the boss of us!” I snatch the squirrel off the fire and rip into it, I hate to admit it but it’s perfect.   
“Isn’t he nice?” Gon smiles happily gobbling up his own piece.   
“Nice isn’t always nice.” I want to tell him about my observations but Gon won’t pay any attention, he’ll come right out and ask her. Like someone would just admit to their lies or divulge their secrets just like that. Just because he asked. Gon can be such an idiot sometimes.   
He perks up, nose in the air, another thump.  
“Sounds like a deer”  
“Smells like a deer.”   
We say at the same time.   
“Big one guys!” Iku drags the deer toward the fire

Man she’s strong  
“Should tide you over for a bit.”   
“Oh man!” That is a big one!” Gon shoves the rest of the squirrel in his mouth and runs to Iku, Gon’s eyes are full of trust for this stranger. He trusts Iku, for whatever reason, but he’s stupid about these things, he doesn’t know just how many people want to hurt him in this world.  
“Let me help.” Gon offers  
“No thanks, go play with your brother.” She smiles wider, why is she always smiling?  
“Killua is my best friend.”  
“Hmm?” Iku looks at him her eyes wide.   
“We’re friends, not brothers but I’ definitely take him as my brother.” Gon smiles all bug, he always does that when he talks about me. My face got warm again.  
“Whatever.” I turn my nose up.   
“What did I say?” She looks between the two of us. She can’t be serious   
“You said go play with your brother.” Gon answers. Iku just stares at him, torn for a second, like she can’t decide something   
“Oh.” she laughs it off “sorry, go on and play with Killua, I have a certain way I like to do these things.”   
“Are you sure?” Gon asks again.   
“Go on,” Iku began to skin the deer. Her hands tremble.  
Gon grabs me and dragged me to my feet, “lets go swim then.” he kicks his shoes off and throws his jacket and shirt aside. I follow his lead. I stop to watch Iku for a second. I don’t think she’s gonna try to poison us, not that it’d work on me.   
Iku skins the deer, tears streaking down her face. Fear etched into her features. Here eyes are wide, she’s seeing something we’re not. She’s completely silent as she let her tears fall and sections the meat to cook.   
“Killua, hurry up.” Gon grabs me and drags me away. 

We laugh and splash and for just a second Iku’s nen is so potent with her sadness, it fills everything.   
“You smell that?” Gon sniffs at the air, oblivious to tha nen and he bolts.  
“Gon, your clothes.” I grab his and my clothes before chasing after him.   
“Thank you so much.” Gon digs in immediately, his hair still dripping, neither of us had gotten dressed before we started eating Iku watches us she looks… relieves and sad and lonely.   
“We’ll set up camp here tonight.” She finally takes a bite of her own dinner.  
“You’re ordering us around a lot.” I snap.   
“You wouldn’t do something I says unless you agreed with it. You were hungry, you ate, it’s getting late and there will be no place to sleep once we have to cross the desert. We should catch up on sleep now, it’s a three day journey, my ability gives me the advantage of not needing sleep for about a week. You, I imagine, can last a few days but Gon spends his energy up too quickly and wears himself out by the end of each day, he needs the sleep most of all. It’s a three day journey and it’ll be too dangerous to let our guards down even the slightest of bits…” Iku’s look is a challenge “and you know I’m right.”   
“She’s right.” Gon looks at me “if you thought she was dangerous you would have tried to kill her already or sent her off, she’s not trying to hurt us.”   
I grit my teeth “you trust people too easily.”   
“Yeah but you always say something if you think someone is really dangerous and you haven’t said anything so… you must not think she’s dangerous.”   
Iku rests a hand on Gon’s shoulder “You should stay suspicious, don’t just leave it up to Killua, if I had ill intent and just hid it well I could hurt you.”  
“But you’re not going to.” Gon smiles “you wouldn't hurt someone for no reason, I feel… I feel really safe around you.” Gon’s eyes never waver “Like my mom, you feel like her.” His eyes brighten and Iku looks to me  
“You gotta fix that, instincts are great and all but there’s ways of making people think they’re at ease and it’s easy to manipulate that kind of mind set.”   
“I don’t need you to tell me what I have to do with my friend.” I glare at her, Gon is right, she feels safe, even I feel like I can let my guard down around her. I’m not going to, but I’ve also never met anyone like that before, other than Gon. Still, I won’t trust her, there’s plenty of ways of manipulating someone into letting their guard down.   
“Good.” Iku smiles, “now lay down and get some rest, both of you.” she gives that look again, to me in particular.   
“There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep right now.” I scoff at her “the sun is barely down.”   
“Would you like me to help you go to sleep?” Iku offers her hand, and even though there’s no malice my body tenses.   
“Is that a threat?” I hiss.  
“It’s an offer, one of my abilities.”   
“You can put people to sleep?” Gon leans forward always so excited. “I wanna see.”   
“Come here, we’ll rest against the tree.” Iku sits back and waves him over, he sits down, she guides his head onto her lap  
“You too Killua, you most of all.”   
“I’m not sleeping on your lap.” I stick my nose up at her.   
“You won’t stay there. I’ll leave you guys alone to sleep as soon as you’re out.”  
“Look, there’s no way you’ll be able to put me to sleep, you’ll be wasting your time trying.” I argued.   
“Want to place a bet on it then?” Iku smirks, a challenge in her eyes.   
“What kind of bet?”  
“Hurry up Killua, I want to see how she does this.” Gon wriggles around impatiently and full of energy.   
“You stay awake and I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me.” She offers the bet so confidently I almost don’t accept. But she had been so sad, she’s hiding something. She offered it not because its easy to offer but because there’s nothing else I’d want from her, information is everything. Information decides action.   
I lay my head beside Gon’s on her other leg and try to be still but I’m not used to this. Her fingers trail through my hair delicately, my face warms again and I look up to see her eyes closed, her head back against the tree. She strokes through my hair again and shivers travel through my entire body, my skin warms from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. She hums softly.  
“It feels so nice.” Gon sighs happily, he out easy enough.  
I fight the comforting strokes, the soothing lullaby. Everything got heavy. My eyes weigh too much, my heart rate evens and slows, a strange warmth I’ve never experienced before filled me. I look up, still struggling and atch a single tear stream down her cheek. My focus slips and give in to warmth and comfort. It feels like a cocoon, it feels Safe… she feels safe....  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you’re enjoying this story. I love it personally, it is one of my favorites and i have an unhealthy attachment to this anime. But here we are  
> This is a 3 possibly 5 book mini series, by mini series i mean they’re novella length instead of novel length. Book 1 and 2 are finished and


	3. Chapter 3: Killua

I have never felt more rested in my life, even an entire day into the desert. We have plenty of water, Gon is still wide awake, I didn’t think her ability would be so effective.   
Gon swings his arms wide, even at his usual energy level he was wide awake. Not one of us was suffering any kind of fatigue, this would be a breeze.   
“Your ability.” I haven’t said anything since she put me to sleep. Partially because I was too embarrassed and partially because I didn’t know what to say. I’ve never felt that kind of comfort before.   
“Yes.” She meets my eyes easily, happily even.   
“Is it going to make us crash?” I force myself to be casual.  
“Crash?” Iku asks “like a sugar crash?”   
“Yeah.” Why’s it so hard to make eye contact with her?   
“That’s a good question!” Gon looks to Iku. “What are the costs of using it?”   
“Nothing for you guys.” She assures us.  
“But something for you?” I press.  
“Nothing I can’t handle.” She ruffles both of our hair “come on kiddos. You really that interested?”   
“What exactly is it, what’s it called?” I carry on.   
“I supposed I’ll just explain my abilities, since we’re traveling together.” Iku sighs “My strongest ability is mirror. I can use my opponent’s abilities against them for either defensive or offensive maneuvers but I suffer delayed damage when I use it for offense. So, I stick mainly with defense. My second ability is healing, I can use energy of anyone really but the livelier the nen the better to force my own healing to accelerate. My third and fourth is lullaby and siGon’s song. SiGon’s song… I don’t use it unless I absolutely have no choice. It’s a form of mind control. Lullaby is what I used on you. It combines SiGon’s song and my healing abilities. It’s like what you both felt when I borrowed your energy. It rejuvenated not just your physical bodies but replenishes your nen and mental endurance as well. I used lullaby on you both almost the entirety of the night, I didn’t want either of you feeling fatigued during this portion of the journey.”   
“What are the repercussions for you?” I demanded. “We can’t have you passing out on us, I’m not gonna carry you for 2 days.”   
“Nothing, it drains my energy, but I told you I can go seven days without sleep. I spent the equivalent of two of those days and I slept last night, that leaves me comfortably three days, with some effort five.”  
“So, it does drain you.” Gon noted.   
“Of course, it’s energy spent but it doesn’t have a huge effect, not enough that it would put me at a disadvantage if I was to be immediately attacked.” She doesn’t seem tired or unalert.  
She made sure we would be at our best for this, she wasn’t willing to risk us getting hurt… but why?  
“You guys are escorting me home, right?” She offers a smile “it’s the least I can do.”   
Is it really just a debt?  
“It’s not a problem, really, we was headed that way anyway.” Gon gives her an even bigger smile.   
No… it has nothing to do with a debt and she isn’t the one being escorted in her eyes… so what then? She really came just to make sure Hisoka wouldn't bother us again?  
Shivers crawled up and down my spine.   
“Run.” It’s barely a whisper, he’s nearby   
“What….” Iku grabs my and Gon’s arm and bolts.  
Gon and I catch our footing and match Iku's speed.   
"What is it?" She ask me.   
“You ran and you don't even know from what?" I ask. She meets my eyes briefly.   
"You were scared. Whatever your reasons are not my business unless you'd like them to be. So, I did what you ask.” She pulls us faster “Although I do feel that presence now. "  
"It’s your brother?" Gon asks.   
“Yeah, it’s Illumi and we have nowhere to hide.” My brain scrambles for a plan, there is no way we can take Illumi, he’s just too strong.  
Gon… Illumi will go for Gon.   
“Split up, keep an eye on each other and double back and corner him when he goes after Gon.”   
I stare at her, how did she know he’d go after Gon.   
“Right.” Gon nods, trusting her without hesitation.   
“Killua, what’s his ability–” Iku ducks, shoving Gon down with her as a slender knife shot between them, had she just dodged it would have hit Gon.   
“Never mind, sharp nen formed into a knife it’s feels like my siGon’s song so some kind of mind control. I can’t use that, mirror won’t work.” Iku shoves Gon and me in the opposite directions and charges backward. I listened, I hate seeing Gon running away from me but Iku is right, we needed to take control of this.   
I look back just in time to see Iku square off with Illumi. Iku stands just before Illumi, her hands tucked inside her hoodie pocket.  
“What are you doing?” I demand, not that she can hear me now, not that I can do anything about it now, I can’t fight my brother, not yet, I’m strong enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a short chapter so i thought I’d just go ahead and post it with the other chapter   
> Also check out my TikTok   
> @nunchigoy  
> And my YouTube  
> The Eclectic Weeb   
> For anime mini stories, text stories, diys and edits


	4. Chapter 4: Iku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua, Gon and Iku travel together in order to get Gon home safely after the Zoldyck family was hired to take Gon.

I hide my hands in my hoodie. Illumi looks me over, his blank expression tells me he doesn’t think I’m a threat.  
“What are you doing with my little brother?” He demands.   
“Why is your little brother afraid of you?” I counter   
“Killua is none of your concern, I’ll be taking him with me, with no cover and no way of defeating me he won’t be getting away again.” Illumi went to step around me but I matched him, catching him by surprise.  
“So, you’re fast, if you step out of my way I’ll let you and the other boy go free, he must come home, our mother misses him.”  
“He is afraid of you.” I growl, my nen pulsing. “If he doesn’t want to go. Then you’re not taking him.” My resolve hardens the texture of my nen, thickening it around me.   
“Then I’ll kill you both and take Killua just the same.” Illumi solidifies his nen, it darkens and while it sent a shiver down my spine and made me want to run away, the look on Killua’s face flashes in my mind; pupils dilated, face wide, vulnerable, terrified.   
“You won’t touch him.” I strike first. Leaping ahead, his needles fly out.  
“Mirror.” I activate my mirror and catch the nen knives, Illumi moves like liquid out of the way of the sharpened nen I sent back at him.   
“That’s an interesting move.”  
“My ability puts me on an even playing field with my opponent, I can be as strong as you are. my battles come down to who’s smarter.” I plant myself here, he will not get passed me.   
The boys stopped moving, why are they not moving. Gon and Killua’s nen are agitated.  
“RUN!” My voice amplifies with my nen, filling the air, they need to go. They still aGon’t moving, what are they doing. Finally, their nens resolve and they’re moving.  
Illumi looks annoyed, I match his every step thanks to my mirror ability.   
“You think you can use my own abilities better than me?” He asks.   
“I think if those two get away, I win, I don’t have to actually beat you.” I mirror him again, appearing in front of him.   
“So, your ability allows you to mirror my abilities, am I right?” He’s still too calm for my liking.   
“I’m not telling you anything specific, you’ll have to figure out the weaknesses yourself.” I smirked “I’m sure you will, with little trouble, if you haven’t already but, even if you know right now, they’ll be able to hide and slip away, they will get away from you this time.”  
“Even if this is your master plan, I’ll still catch up to them before long. You’ve done nothing but delay the inevitable.” Illumi eyes are just blank.  
“What is Killua to you?” He demands   
“He’s a young boy who felt sheer terror at the sight of his older brother.” I narrow my eyes and attack again “little brother’s shouldn’t be afraid of their older siblings. They should feel safer.” I swing my leg out, his nen losing fluidity for a second, I’m faster than he anticipated but he still manages to dodge me.   
He watches my movements with clinical precision. I don’t doubt he’s already able to predict my movements but he seems thoughtful. He catches my leg and shoves me back. He could beat me if I don’t use Siren’s song but I’m not confident that I can finish this yet, I need to test his willpower.   
“Reflect my next five moves and I’ll let you all go this time.” His eyes are absolutely unreadable, his nen, however is tinged with curiosity.   
“You’re giving me your word.”   
“As unreliable as that is, sure.”  
Theres intent in his nen, he wants me for something.   
I react with my mirrored speed. What Illumi doesn’t understand is that as long as my mirror is out I am his reflection and you can’t move faster than your reflection.   
I react with him and dodge the pins easily, he lunges forward and I react, his nen telling me his every move thanks to my mirror. Unfortunately, any move that makes contact will reflect back on me. I just can’t hit him, if I hit him anything the mirror absorbs I’ll suffer later, as it is this is draining my energy. It’s going to be hard to stay awake after this fight.   
“That’s two.” Illumi extends his nen, a shiver passes down my spine, my mind urges my feet to move, back up, run but the look on Killua’s face reaffirms my resolve.   
“Bring it.” I accept his challenge. I can do this, all I have to do is reflect his movements.   
Illumi strikes out again in diffeGont succession. Aiming several swift blows toward me, I jump back, catching the blows in my mirror reflecting the hits back but carefully trying to avoid hitting him with his own attacks. That will really hurt later and it’ll take too much time to heal and that will put me in danger being out here alone unconscious in the middle of nowhere for several days.   
Illumi moves so fast I miss his fourth attack but the 5th one is tiny, it strikes my mirror, the copy is made, it looks like nothing but light. It wasn’t for injury, it’s something else.   
Illumi dodges something I didn’t even see. That’s the same thing I felt earlier, the one similar to my Siren’s Song   
“Well, you might have a use after all.” Illumi stands back “You are free to go for now, but next time I’ll kill you and Killua’s friend before I take him back home. He’ll have no reason to run away again.”   
“You won’t touch him.” I lock eyes with him, my nen hardening, my resolve obvious to him.  
“You won’t be able to stop me.” Illumi disappears. His nen completely gone. I release the mirror and drop to my knees trembling from the energy spent and the heavy nen still lingering in my bones.  
“Well shoot… he was freaking terrifying.” I struggle to re-center myself, push the feeling of terror away before forcing myself to my feet and running full tilt towards Gon and Killua. I can still feel them.  
Why are they still so close?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading.   
> What do you think do far?  
> What are you enjoying and what do you not like so much?  
> What would you like to see happen  
> And what do you think is going to happen?


	5. Gon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua’s family took Gon, now he’s sworn to bring him back home with a little help from a sis clown(joker) and a new friend that treats them more like little brothers than anything else.

I look back the moment charges Illumi, he went after her? That doesn’t make any sense no, she ran back to him she was the exact opposite direction as him and Killua. She intended to fight him so we could get away. 

“Killua!” I run back to Killua, we’ll have to fight together. Iku’s plan can still work.   
“Dammit, why is she doing this?” Killua growls,   
“What’s he doing.” I reach his side.   
“Being an idiot.” Killua’s nen feels like a knife.   
“We have to help him.” I yank on his arm but he doesn’t but he doesn’t budge.  
“We can’t, we’re not strong enough to fight Illumi.” Killua grabs my arm “she did this so we could get away, don’t throw her idiotic efforts away, any chance we have we have to take.”   
“We can’t leave him, Killua.” I tug on my arm.  
“What can we do?”  
“RUN!” Iku’s voice shakes the ground, his nen throws us back. Illumi looks directly at Killua but Killua doesn’t freeze, Killua never freezes. He grabs me again before we hit the ground and drags me as fast as he can, across the sand.   
“What are you doing?” I demand  
“We don’t even know her,” Killua yells back “she’s strong, but we’re going to be in the way, maybe she can get away but not if she’s worried about us and she’s stupid enough to worry about some kids she just met.”   
“Killua!” I try to break his grip but Killua is still stronger.   
“Cut it out, Gon!” Killua snaps “think about it, we’ll be in the way, Illumi doesn’t care about her, if she can hold her own this is the best option.”  
“But–”  
“You know I’m right, Gon, please.” Killua begs me, if Killua has to he’ll try to knock me out, he’s done it before.   
“Fine.” I can’t argue. Iku ran back to buy us time. He isn’t strong enough and it isn’t just losing a fight, if Illumi gets Killua… I might never see Killua again, I can’t risk that. I run as fast as I can with Killua.  
I keep pace with Killua and try not to think about Iku, he’s strong enough, he can last, he just has to survive. 

Killua freezes, jerking me to a stop.  
“What’s wrong?” I look around but Illumi’s nen is gone.   
“She’s coming.” Killua whips around. “Illumi didn’t kill her, she’s coming towards us right now… but She’s not strong enough to beat Illumi… does she have another ability she didn’t tell us about?”  
“Why does it matter?” I try to drag him “Come on, lets go meet her!” I run back but Killua stops me.  
“We’ll wait for her but running to her might be a trap, remember this is Illumi after all. He could have done something to her.”  
“Okay.” I know he’s right but it’s still annoying. We watch together, there’s absolutely no malicious nen but Killua still looks like he can’t believe it.  
“Come on, Killua, he’s okay, why does it matter how?”  
“Because we don’t know how and because it’s Illumi.” He shoots back. Killua’s eyes follow Iku as he comes into view  
“Iku, are you okay?” I run to her, Killua doesn’t stop me this time.   
He’s panting and looks like he’s about to pass out but he doesn’t look hurt.  
“Some brother you got there.” He falls back and lays in the sand. “I definitely wouldn’t have won that without his deal.”  
“What deal?” Killua shoves his arm out in front of me. His eyes turning to ice as he looks down at Iku.  
“He seems to think you can learn a thing or two from me, he was interested in my mirror ability.” He’a breathing hard and really looks like he wants to go to sleep.   
“He says I could be of use to your training, he’s definitely coming back but we have some time to figure out how to beat him.”  
“We can’t beat him.” Killua sighs  
“We’ll see about that.” Iku smiles at him, Killua falls back a step, his eyes widen and then he frowns “You and Gon are just alike.”   
“We should keep moving though, he seems the type to go back on his word when it suits him.” Iku struggles to his feet.  
“We should rest, you’re tired.” I catch his arm to help him.   
“We need to get to some place with some cover first.” Iku pats mine and Killua’s hair. “I’ll be just fine,” She smiles bright and convincingly.  
“Pfft, you’re lying.” Killua stares at him “but you are right, we need to keep going.”  
“If she absolutely needs to rest, we will, for now, we’ll keep going.” Killua steps aside, Iku takes the lead. We’re going a lot slower but I think this is what she can handle for now, Killua might not carry Iku but if he needs it I’ll do it.

Killua and I watch Iku, he’s running but his eyes are flat, we could sense his nen decreasing, his steps were sloppy, he isn’t near as fluid.   
I look to Killua and he nods.  
Iku’s foot slips. He starts to fall but we catch him, he’s easy enough to carry without so much as breaking stride. Iku’s out just as we hit the town.   
“She estimated perfectly.” Killua takes Iku and carries him on his back.   
“You said you weGon’t going to carry her.” I smirk.   
“I said I wasn’t going to carry her for two days. It’s only going to take a few minutes to get into a place in town now let’s go eat.” Killua turns his nose up, he should have let me carry her… but I know him and owing people. It was Killua’s brother after all, he just doesn’t want to owe Iku anything.   
“He’s nice but kind of weird. He’s like a kid sometimes and then when he smiles or pats our heads it’s like my mom”  
“I still think she’s a kid.” Killua says confidently. “She wants people to think she’s older because it’s dangerous for little girls by themselves.”  
“but Iku’s not a girl.”   
“She said she’s neither or both. If someone sees a her they could try to hurt her just because she’s a girl.”  
“For real?” I look at Iku “He really looks like a kid when he’s asleep.”   
“It doesn’t matter, we’ll go get something to eat and then find someplace to stay tonight.” Killua is careful to keep him steady as we walk.  
“Hey, Killua.” I poke his arm “why did Iku help us, he, was scared, wasn’t he?”  
“Of course she was, Illumi is terrifying.” Killua’s jaw tightens “she must be really dumb, that’s why, she thinks she can save everyone. She’s just stupid.”  
“I don’t think it’s cause he’s stupid.” I don’t know what it is but Iku doesn’t seem stupid.  
“it doesn’t matter.” Killua scoffs “We’ll be rid of her soon anyway.”

Killua props Iku up against the window and pulls his hood over his eyes so he can rest while we eat.  
“Do you think he’s okay?” I stare at Iku. He has a bead of sweat along his hairline and he’s a little flushed but his heart is steady, his breath easy.   
“She’ll be fine, I think it has to do with his ability, she used up too much energy, maybe she tried to put Illumi to sleep and used her lullaby or maybe the Siren’s song she mentioned. She had to do something he wouldn’t expect her to do to get him to make a deal.” Killua scarfs down his noodles and slurps his soup and I match him.  
“We can trust her, you know.” I smile “I don’t know what it is but… I know we can.”   
“You don’t know.” Killua snaps “her ability could just make you think that she’s safe, make you let your guard down.”  
“Yeah, I thought of that but he’s not like that. He’s safe, I know it.”   
Killua wouldn’t admit it even if he did trust Iku. He’s stubborn like that.   
“Ma...ise.” Iku groans. “His...to” he curls tighter into his giant hoodie and his nen expands creating a barrier, probably to warn him if anyone gets too close.  
Food always makes us happy. So, Killua’s mood is better and Iku sleeps like the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, trying to keep up with daily posts, this is a finished piece and so you don’t have to worry about it not being finished. If i miss a day I’m sorry and if you just can’t wait, leave a comment here so i get an alert. Or you can be more direct and leave a comment on my TikTok @nunchigoya or send me a dm on my ig @nunchi.trash  
> My YouTube also has a bunch of anime related content. Anime diy’s, text stories and cosplay being added. I am super excited about the character songs i am working on for my OC’s   
> Mika Zoldyck: half sibling to Killua and the others  
> Aka Zoldyck-Morrow: Nen child of Hisoka and Illumi  
> Takara Sasaki: BNHA class 1-A emergency transfer.   
> These are all orginal character cosplays on my TikTok.   
> Would love to see you over there. :D  
> Nearing 7k followers adn when i hit 10k i would love to do some kind of diy anime merch giveaway.


	7. Iku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua’s family kidnapped Gon and he has sworn to help return Gon home, they run into a new friend and now they have two people they didn’t ask for help trailing along with them.

Someone is dumb enough to dare. Our nen clash. I double the size of mine shoving whoever reached for Gon back and the other hands that reached for Killua. I gather the boys and push them behind me,   
“Don’t touch them.” I activate my mirror ability and catch the first ability, speed, the second ability strength. Basic abilities, limited skill. Their only advantage are their numbers.  
I am strong enough   
I strike out with my borrowed strength, these kinds of abilities are too weak to do more than drain me. My fist connects with a large man’s jaw.   
“Stop protecting us!”   
My nen will hurt him. I shut it off before his hand hooks onto my hood. Killua yanks me back, I lost my balance.  
“We aren’t your problem. We can handle ourselves.” Killua’s nen is powerful but no kid’s nen should be so sharp.   
“Gon!” hands reach through my nen as I expand back out.  
“Hey!” Gon strikes out. I have to get to him, Killua shoves me away again.  
“Just go away, we don’t need you.” Killua’s nen shot out in a burst cutting me. It’s an ineffective waste of nen.   
“Get away from him.” He’s fast as lighting, knocking the guy away from Gon, Gon swings a leg out and hits the woman reaching for Killua. Panic double my vision hardens my nen, why would anyone hurt kids? Why can’t kid sjust be protected, they need to be safe. I need to keep the safe! Marise! Hisahito!

“Leave them alone!” my nen surges and I lunge, tackling the larger man away, throwing my nen out. I’m a defensive fighter, close combat and that move drained too much energy. I was expending too much energy, panic makes my control slip.  
I strike out again and again and then Killua’s nen is gone and Gon’s nen is gone and they are gone. They’re just gone.   
“Gon! Killua!” They are not your brothers! My body keeps going. They have nothing to do with you still my nen swirls and expands, stretching out, filling the block and then the square and then the town until I caught them. I bolted despite my depleting energy, despite the panic squeezing my lungs.   
I can save them this time, I can save them, I can save them.   
They are not your brothers. Your brothers are waiting for you back home.   
I round corners and bolt through the streets shoving anything and everything out of my way. Tracking them is easy, these are not particularly skilled people. One of them has some kind of ability in the category of mind control or nen suppressant. It’s my faulty Gon and Killua even got taken, I distracted them, they’re plenty strong enough to hold their own, they didn’t need me, I got in the way. This is all my fault!  
“Gon’s friend isn’t too fond of help.” Hisoka’s voice nearly makes me trip over my own feet.  
“What do you want?” I snap at him.   
“Gon isn’t in any danger.” Hisoka’s voice is calm, almost musical, I don’t like it, its too calming, too comforting.   
“They don’t need you, you know.” Hisoka echos my own thoughts but I push those away, my thoughts and his words and I run to the two little boys that have absolutely nothing to do with me.   
“Lets play a game.” Hisoka easily keeps pace with me “whoever saves them first wins.”  
“Wins what?” I push harder, run faster but Hisoka is strong and he doesn’t have any trouble keeping up.  
“We’ll figure that out later.” Tomatsu just smiles and I tune him out. There will be no need to worry because those boys can take care of themselves. They’re strong.   
“Stay away from them.” I snap as we draw closer to the boys.   
“Killua, Gon!”  
Killua’s energy surges and I can finally breathe.   
“Let him go!” Killua’s voice slices the nen throughout the square as we round the corner. Hisoka sighs “I suppose neither of us is winning.” He disappears just as seamlessly as he had arrived.   
“Let us go!” Killua yells his nen rising with his voice.  
Killua stands with Gon on his back, his nen is like thousands of razors cutting at my skin but I press forward with my own nen as a layer of protection.  
“Are you guys… okay?” I fall to my knees in front of them, both completely unscathed. My entire body is jell-o.  
They’re okay… they’re okay. I collapse over my legs and press my forehead to the dirt. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, you boys were fine without me.”  
“Can you heal him?” Killua’s voice is barely a whisper “or… something, it’s a drug, it had an immediate effect on me but because of my training my body was used to it, it processed it faster.”   
“I might be able to, it depends on how well his nen will cooperate with physical healing or in this case cleansing his blood stream. Give him to me.” I hold out my arms for him. Killua hands him over without complaint, his eyes was full of a cold anger but just under that is fear, he was afraid for Gon. I encased Gon in my mirror and activated mirror, reflecting his nen back on him and force his body to heal. He squirms and winced.  
“Accelerated healing is… uncomfortable to say the least.” I explain “it can be painful but he has no broken bones or skin that needs to grow back so it’s not too bad.”  
Gon’s hand grips my hoodie sleeve as I forced his blood to cycle through faster, replacing old with new blood.  
“What the…” Gon leapt to his feet so suddenly his hand caught my cheek “what happen.”   
“Someone tried to kidnap you again because you just had to try and protect me.” Killua yells at him “I told you I don’t need you to protect me, you need to just stay outta my way next time.” I didn’t expect Killua to yell at Gon like that.   
“Then you stop trying to protect me.” Gon sticks his tongue out.  
“No way, you need to be protected, you think the world is full of rainbows and sunshine and it’s not, people want to hurt you, Gon, and you just trust people and you let your guard down.”  
“You don’t trust anyone.” Gon snaps back “you have to trust someone.”   
“I trust you.” Killua yells back “that’s all I need, I don’t know why you need more than that.” Gon stomps off. Well, he’s temperamental… just like Hisahito. Killua glares after Gon but he isn’t angry he’s scared.   
“Are you okay, Killua?” I know that look, Killua has no fear for himself he’s afraid for Gon.  
Killua just stands there, his nen agitated. Finally, his hands relax, he looks at me and the fear was replaced with sadness.   
“You can still travel with us… if you want.” He stuffs his hands into his pocket and follows after Gon.   
These kids… these kids have seen way too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my TikTok for cosplay, anime and fanfic content, @nunchigoya  
> check out my friend @visage_s they just hit 10k and does some amazing Cosplay and special effects makeup. They just hit 10k and they’re doing Kite soon and I’m so excited


	9. Iku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua’s family took Gon, now Killua has sworn to return Gon. Killua planned on doing it himself but a new friend appears and

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read end note

Killua smiles brightly and sticks by Gon’s side. He’s worried about my intentions. I hope he tells me when he figures them out. I’d like to know too. I order three slices of triple chocolate cake and three teas.  
“Maybe I don’t like chocolate.” Killua slides a sideways glance when I set cakes down.  
“You love chocolate.” Gon laughs “good call. He’s got the biggest sweet tooth.”  
“I’m sure Killua was just teasing.” I take a bite, Killua will likely never trust me, I don’t blame him, his eyes give it away. A kid’s eyes should never be so cold. The only kind of people with that nen are cold blooded murders. A kid with that kind of nen is…  
“Right.” Killua takes a big bite “just teasing, thank you so much.”  
“Yeah thank you.” Gon’s is genuine, he’s so full of sunshine but that’s his default, his surface.  
“Your brother.” I begin. Killua freezes, he’s already halfway through his cake.  
“How soon do you think it’ll be before he comes back for you?” I lick my fork.  
“He’s impatient, a week, maybe two. That’s about the time he usually gives me to master something new.”  
“So we’ll plan on 1 week, keep your nen up boys.” I cock a brow at them, they let their nens slip and didn’t even notice.  
“Dang it.” Gon grumbles “How do you keep it up so effortlessly?”  
“I’m going to tell you and it’s probably going to irritate you.” I wave them toward me, they lean across the table. I’m surprised that Killua did. I almost feel bad about this.  
“Practice.”  
Their mouths dropped as if I had just betrayed them.  
“Are you serious!” Killua snaps “I actually thought you had something useful to say.” He hops out of the seat and shoves the last bite of cake into his mouth.  
“pfft. I’m going for a walk. Clearly, intelligent conversation is lacking here.” Killua’s eyes are just as cutting as his nen.  
“Awe, don’t be like that Killua.” Gon reaches for his friend but Killua is beyond annoyed. I shouldn’t take enjoyment from it but its the big sister in me that can’t help it. I miss them I poke at the remainder of my cake and Gon watches me.  
“What are you thinking about when you look sad like that?” Gon asks.  
“and here I thought I was being so subtle.” I run my fingers through my hair and sigh.  
“You did at first but the longer I’m around you the easier it is to see. I didn’t notice it at all at first but then every now and again your eyes kind of glass over and it’s like…like you miss something or… you’re lonely… no, like you’re lost.”  
I can’t look at him but I don’t want to lie “My little brothers… I haven’t seen them in a long time since I was about twelve.”  
“and you’re 23 now… that’s a long time.” Gon takes a bite of cake, he’s only had a few bites “That’s where you’re going now huh?” He nibbles again.  
“If you don’t want the cake you don’t have to eat it.” I laugh “I have an overwhelming addiction to chocolate.”  
“I like it, it’s just really sweet.” He smiles a bit shy.  
“If you’re finished we can wrap it up. By the looks of Killua’s plate he’ll enjoy that later.” I capped the cake and stacked the trash. “but yes, I’m finally going home. And I’m going to kill my step-father.”  
Gon leaps away from me clearing four tables and pressing against the corner.  
“Gon!” I whirl around waiting for something to attack us but there’s nothing there. Gon stares at me from across the room.  
“Yo–you’re nen.” Gon is shaking, his own nen solidified around him to keep him protected… protected from what… me?  
“Oh…” I tuck my hands into my pocket “I… I didn’t even realize how potent it would be.” I sit back down and stare at the chocolatey plates “I’m so sorry, Gon, that wasn’t for you.”  
Gon inches a few steps forward.  
“Gon!” Killua bursts in. I feel him darting toward us.  
“Gon, are you okay?” Killua finds him at the worst possible moment, still trembling, still looking at me with wide terrified eyes.  
“What did you do to him.” Killua lunges across the room at me, fist raised. I don’t try to block, I deserve it, but he stops.  
“What did you do to him?” Killua demands.  
“He asks me why I was sad, I told him and then I told him I was going to kill… someone from my home. My nen reflected how potent my hatred is for this person. It was no ill intent for Gon.”  
Killua stares at me, his heart pounding so loudly I can hear it. Finally, he drops his hand completely and stands there.  
“I think it’s best if we go our separate ways.” Killua grabs Gon and walks passed me “I didn’t realize you were capable of that kind of hatred. I know your smiles are fake. At first I just couldn’t trust you, now you’re just too dangerous.”  
“Understandable.” I hand him the packed up cake “practice expanding your nen. If you ever have any questions for me don’t hesitate to reach out. No strings, you can always find me just to ask the question and then leave right after.” I resist the urge to pat their heads “please be careful out there.” I walk out first, every step breaking a new piece of my heart. I barely knew them but walking away from them feels like walking away from my brothers all over again and it nearly killed me the first time.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am new here and I’d like to thank everyone who has taken an interest in my story.  
> I would normally not ask but I’ve been trying to get this to work on my own and honestly I need help  
> In short my MacBook was stolen right out of my home and that was the specific model required for my course. It cost me over 4,000. I do not have that kind of money to spare again and i can’t finish my program without it. Anything will help, I’ll have a story up on my TikTok as well as my YT The Eclectic Weeb.  
> I have an etsy shop, I make crochet patterns and I’ve even had people hire me to write a specific fanfic for them with them and another character.  
> I have a book for sale on Barnes and Noble It Hurts by Nunchi Goya  
> Pretty much anything outside of my job goes to my laptop fund.  
> Sorry to drop this at the end of a fanfic but I don’t know what else to do  
> I have a ko-fi and a venmo  
> https://ko-fi.com/nunchigoya  
> Venmo @NunchiGoya


	10. Gon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua with some unwanted help from Iku and Hisoka will return Gon home

“Really, it’s okay, Killua.” I assure him “he didn’t try to hurt me at all.”   
“Yeah right, you never think anyone is trying to hurt you, that’s your problem.” Killua is furious but he carried the cake out which is a good sign. Although, maybe he’s a little bit right, that nen was terrifying, more terrifying than Hisoka’s or Illumi’s.  
“She’s always faking her smiles too, I bet she was trying to kidnap us herself, or sell us.” Killua shoves his free hand into his pocket “no one helps anyone just for no reason, she was getting something out of hanging around with us”  
“I don’t think he was.” I interrupt him, finally, sure his nen was terrifying but now that I see how powerful he is… if he wanted to hurt me he would have done it. “He told me he missed his brothers, and he hasn’t seen them since he was twelve. He says he’s going to kill his step–father and that’s when his nen took on that feeling.” I shiver at the memory. I hadn’t once even had the feeling of being scared of him and then just like that, like a switch, he was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen  
“It doesn’t matter.” Killua snaps, I kind of figured he would be like that.  
“We can’t trust her and that’s it, we’re better off on our own.” Killua sits on a bench and opens the cake up. “At least she has good taste in desserts.”   
“How can you eat another one, they’re so sweet.” I laugh at him because chocolate always makes him so happy.   
“If I can endure torture, I can endure a little sugar.” Killua smiles. He only ever smiles at me like that, the rest of them were fakes.  
“Your eyes are sad too sometimes.” I didn’t notice until Iku. “like you feel alone.”  
“Pfft, whatever.” Killua rolls his eyes at me “Iku got into your head too much, it’s just us now. forget about her.”   
“You really want to leave him?”   
“Yeah, why not? It’s been us for this long, why not just keep it this way?” Killua finishes off the cake in no time at all.   
“He was teaching us to hone our nen.” I remind him “and he’s nice and cares about us.”  
“She doesn’t care about us, Gon, I don’t know what she wanted but she wanted something from us.” Killua’s getting irritated with me but I think he’s right and wrong.   
“I think he just wanted someone around.” I scratch the back of my head a and shift around, I don’t want to irritate Killua “I think he just misses his brothers.”  
“Yeah well, we’re not her brothers and we’ve got our own things to worry about. She’ll make her way home just fine and she’s a lot stronger than I thought she was, so I doubt she’ll have a problem with whoever she’s going to kill, you felt that nen.”   
“Yeah… but I still don’t think we should leave him, she could teach us so much still.” I look back toward the shop, he left us at but he’s still close enough that his nen is around us.   
“Gon I don–”  
“But if you want it to just be us, I’m fine with that.” I throw my arm around him and hug him   
“Knock it off, you’re being stupid.” Killua shoves at me but I hold tight to him.   
“If you want it to just be me and you then it’s me and you forever.” I laugh.  
“Knock if off, Gon!” Killua’s face got all red, he always gets all red faced when I hug him.   
“Seriously, you’re so embarrassing.” Killua drops the cake plate and pushes against my face.   
“Come on, just one hug back, it’s not gonna kill you.” I know he likes it when I hug him but he can never bring himself to hug me back. I wish he’d tell me why.  
“come on, we have to get moving, we’ve got almost a whole day to still be traveling, we can probably make it to the next town before night fall.” He did finally push me away.   
“oh, alright.” Iku hopped down and I shoves him with my nen “I still think we should train our nens.”   
“she was strong, her advice was good but we can’t just trust anyone.” Killua activated his nen. “we still don’t know who hired my family to kidnap you.”  
“I know… I just still think we could trust him.” Iku was interesting. When I felt the intensity of his nen he was even more interesting.   
“okay, I’m just gonna ask one more time and then I won’t ask again.” I walked in front of Killua to stop him. Killua rolled his eyes “you’re sure, you want to leave him?”  
“I–” Killua did hesitate but I saw the resolve there already.   
“I think its better if we do, yes.” Killua brushed passed me and I followed.  
“alright then, lets go.” I grabs his arm and dragged him forward.   
“you don’t even now where we’re going?” he laughs. I really like it when Killua laughs. 

The world felt darker outside of Iku’s nen. I had no idea just how nice her nen felt until it was gone. Even Killua seemed more irritable. He kept his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the ground.   
“lets go swimming.” I tried to reach out with my nen but it wouldn’t go. The ground rushed up to meet me. “what the…  
“Gon!” Killua and I knelt on the ground. “Gon what happened?”   
“i… I don’t know.” I shook my head and tried to expand my nen again but it wouldn’t go.  
“Stop doing that idiot.” Killua yelled “you’re tired, we’re not in Iku’s nen anymore, she warned us about this, you’re using it up to quickly, now e have to rest.” He stood up and fell right back down.  
“what the…” he looks so confused I laughs “ha! Stupid, you did the same thing as me. Now we’re both tired.” I laid my head down “Guess we’ll have to rest here.”   
“we can’t rest here.” Killua’s voice was weird. “we have to get someplace safe, we’re vulnerable out here.”   
“Killua stop!”   
Killua tried to get back up, he was using too much nen. “ouch! Killua!” his nen cut me, it cut me, why was he ddoing this?”  
“We’re not safe here, Gon!” He shouted back “we’re in the open and have no way of defending ourselv– Hisoka…” Killua looks up, I felt it a second later. Hisoka was here.  
“don’t worry boys, just rest. I’ll watch over you.” Hisoka patted Killua’s head before sitting beside me and combing his long fingers through my hair. Huh… that doesn’t fee anything like when Iku does it.  
“get away from him, Hisoka!” Killua yelled.  
“you have to relax, Killua!” I yelled back at him “Everything is fine, Hisoka doesn’t have to wait for us to be weak like this, he’s a lot stronger, you have to stop it or you’re gonna die.” Fear is cold. I forget that sometimes.   
“please, Killua, rest, we’ll be okay if we rest and then we’ll be more careful tomorrow.” My heart raced, my hands shook but it wasn’t from my own exhaustion.   
“no, I don’t trust him.” Killua yelled back, was those tears?   
“you don’t have to trust him.” I yelled back “trust me.” He froze and just like that, he met my eyes.  
“you’re crying.” He stopped trying to get up, he sank to the ground.   
“I’m what?” I touched my face and there they was, tears.   
Killua met my eyes and smiles “I trust you.” He holds my eyes and for a bit before he drifted off.   
“now you little one.” Hisoka continued to comb through my hair “go on and rest.”   
“Killua trusts me not you.” I resisted the urge to go to sleep. Killua trusts me, me no one else.   
“you’ll expend to much energy.” Hisoka’s hands holds none of the comforting power of Iku’s, I didn’t think he’d hurt me but Killua looks at me, says he trusted me… I had to stay awake.   
“where’s your new teacher, they should be able to put you down easily enough.”   
“Iku wouldn’t do that and we’re not traveling together anymore anyway.” My eye was getting so heavy.  
“That’s a good boy. Go to sleep.” He smiles at me and teased my hair. “I’ll watch over you.”  
“no… Killua…trusts…me…” I shook myself trying to stay awake. I wish Iku was here, She’d be able to heal my nen. 

“Nen takes days to replenish, you’ve been spoiled with your teacher, she let you heal faster, had you stayed with her you would have developed your nens in the half the time…” he trailed off and looks beyond me.  
“hmm… looks like someone is closer than you thought.” Hisoka smiles at the woods and the world felt lighter again.   
“Iku…” her nen was like a hug and warmth. I felt some exhaustion lift.  
“your teachers seems to want a word with me.” Hisoka scratched my head and left me there.  
“Iku, wait.” I wanted to chase after her but my eyes was closing again. “I’ll just… I’ll just rest for a few minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading <3 <3 <3


	11. Iku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Zoldycks stole Gon, Killua has sworn to return him him. With some help from a big sister they didn’t ask for and a sketchy clown, Killua will keep his word even if it means saying goodbye to his only friend.

“my my, looks like you’re no better than me.” Hisoka followed me through the woods. I led him as far as I could without letting the boys fall out of my nen.   
“I was on my way to the next town. They happen to be heading toward the same place, I felt their nens rapidly declining and went to check on them.” I didn’t have to explain myself to this guy but keeping him occupied while the boys got some rest was the least I could do.   
“you felt their nens without them being in yours?” Hisoka tapped his long nails against hi lip and looks me over “e both know that’s not how nen works, if it was especially powerful you may have felt the ripple but that wasn’t the case.” He walked in circles around me. “it’s mor likely you was watching them from nearby or from far away.   
He leaned down to my ear and ran his sharp nails up the back of my shaved head.   
“you are rather skilled in nen usage, I’m guessing you have some kind of nen tracking ability.” He trailed his fingers through the hair on top of my head and let it fall back.   
“Why should I tell you?”   
“I’ll let them rest in piece for the rest of the day.” He bargained easily.  
“rest in piece is an interesting choice of phrasing.” I countered. He chuckled.  
“pure coincidence. I will not bother them or intervene in the rest of their day.”  
“the rest of the week.” I knew it was in vain but I had to try.  
“the rest of today and tomorrow, this is my final offer or we can just fight and the winner gets to choose.”   
“Actually.” I pulled my hoodie off hung it on a branch “sounds good to me.”   
“oh really.” A smile crawled across Hisoka’s face and his nen expanded colliding with mine. It was a heavy nen, the density of it making it obvious how much more powerful he was than me. I activated my mirror and captured the nen, I had an idea of how I could beat him.   
“go.” Hisoka lunged and tackled me into the ground,   
“dammit.” My mirror was still active. I didn’t mean to absorb that much anergy.   
“awe, don’t tell me that’s all you can do.” He licked my face.   
“what the hell!” I kicked him off using the same energy he just used on me. “dammit.”  
“Your mirror makes you as strong as you need to be, right?” he smirked at me “but at a cost to you, you’ll take the damage as soon as your mirror deactivates.”  
“So you’re a smart creep.” I already absorbed and used energy. I needed to finish this quickly.  
“you see.” He struck again. This time I mirrored his speed and dodged, he struck out with his leg and I dodged again. I’d store his attacks and finish him in one move.   
“I know all I need to know about your fighting style from watching you and Illumi. I know all I need to know about you just by watching you with Gon and Killua.” He threw a cutting burst of nen at me. I caught it in my mirror while dodging the attack itself.” He disappeared and slammed me into a tree by my throat.   
“You thought being as strong as you needed to be would be enough.” He leaned closer, pressing me against the tree, he spoke directly into my ear. “you spoke to Gon and Killua about limiting themselves hen you have placed the biggest limitation on yourself.”   
I kicked him. I know my own weaknesses, I don’t need to hear about them from him.   
“shut up!” I circled him, my nen still mirroring him. He just smiles as if he knew so much better than me.   
“you are very skilled, you could be so much better if you’d get off the defensive.” He attacked me, one hit after another. I mirrored the speed but I couldn’t find an opening,   
“such a skilled defense.” He laughs “it’s exciting, I can’t even get my hands on you.” He was graceful in every move he made, fluid even when he faked me out. I closed my eyes and let my nen read him. I needed to stop absorbing his blows, they was too strong. I needed to finish this.   
“If you’re going to make your move, you should do it before you wear yourself out little girl.” He struck out, I dodged and concentrated the mirrored aura into my hands, my muscles strained, my arms ached.   
“you’re an awfully quite fighter.” He laughs. I opened my eyes and lunged. He smirked and moved but I could do one more thing with my nen, I was almost a purely defensive. I sacrificed some of the aura in my attack and used it to solidify the nen around him and fr that second he lost his smiles and I collided with him full force. All the nen I had saved up, all my nen into this attack.   
With one blow I had exhausted myself, with one blow I took on more damage than I had the entire fight. My mirror as born of my desire to never be weaker than my opponent again. I would never be too weak again. I lay across him completely exhausted, he was still breathing but he was unconscious at least.   
I reached out with the remainder of my nen to the boys, they was sleeping peacefully, I stimulated their nen recuperation but I didn’t have enough energy to offer them anymore. I grabs Hisoka’s wrist and locked my hand around his wrist. He couldn’t go anywhere without my knowing now. God’s eye, that’s the ability I had used to check on the boys when I felt their nens drop. I knew what was going to happen the second they was out of my nen, I just didn’t know how to say anything when Killua was so dead set on leaving, but they had to get stronger. I didn’t think they’d pass out so quickly, they was overdoing it. I told them not to over do it.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading I’d love to hear thoughts on my version. I love this show so much and the character dynamics are amazing. I’ve been a fan of Togashi since i saw YuYu Hakusho as a kid.   
> Thank you again for to reading another chapter coming soon.  
> Also happy nanowire


	12. Chapter 12: Kei

Gon sat over me when I came to.  
“Killua!” Gon leapt on top of me and squeezes. “you’re awake.”  
“Obviously.” I pushed him off and pulled myself up, “ouch, why does my body ache.”  
“I think you used up too much nen.” Gon rolled his shoulders “I’m a little achy too.”  
“what happened to Hisoka?”   
“I don’t remember too much but I think I felt Iku’s nen and then when I woke up, Hisoka was gone, I think Iku did something.”   
“What was she doing here?” I got up and brushed the dirt off my shorts. “I knew she was just as much of a creep as Hisoka.”  
“We were heading in the same direction, Killua.” Gon reminded me. She probably felt our nens getting low and just wanted to check on us.  
“or she hid her nen from us so we wouldn’t know she was still following us.” I shot back “you’re always so trusting, Gon, I already told you, we have to be careful who we talk to. I haven’t figured out how to convince my parents to let you go yet. I have to find the person that payed for it and then I can kill them.”  
“Iku is safe.” Gon got that look in his eyes. “He’s not gonna hurt us, he’d have done it already if he was going to.”  
“sometimes people aren’t so simple, Gon, sometimes people hurt because they can.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him behind me “now come on, we need to get to the next town.”  
“Are you ever going to trust anyone but me, Killua?” Gon sounded sad about it. I did think about it, I really did. Could I? could I ever trust anyone else? Trusting Gon came so easy, I didn’t have to think about it.   
“Honestly… probably not, Gon.” Gon was the only one I was always honest with “I don’t need anyone else.”   
“Are you sure I’m enough?” Gon’s tone stopped me, of course he was, how could he not be?   
“You’re more than enough, now come on.”  
“If you’re sure.” Gon is the one that didn’t sound sure.  
“Of course I am.” I dragged him behind me. Even if I wasn’t enough for him, he was enough for me, I didn’t need anyone else. 

Gon wasn’t as talkative as usual, he focused on his nen, even making it over halfway to the town yesterday using our nen made it four times as exhausting, we should have been able to make it there in no time, it shouldn’t have effected us at all.   
“I’m tired again.” Gon yawned.   
“we need to rest our nen.” I let my nen drop, I felt weirdly exposed without it.   
“but Iku says–”  
“Iku says not to over due it or it could kills us, she’s not here to replenish our nen so we have to keep an eye on it.” I reminded him “do you have any idea how bad that could have been. We were completely defenseless, Gon! Hisoka could have killed us right there and we couldn’t have done a thing about it.”   
“If it makes you feel better, we couldn’t stop him anyway.” Gon smiles and I snaps.   
“No that doesn’t make me feel better!” I screamed at him. “that’s worse, how the hell am I supposed to be able to keep you safe if even at our best we’d both easily be killed by your stalker, my brother or some person we can’t even tell her age.” My chest was so tight it hurt, I felt like my own nen was crushing my ribs.   
Gon just stared at me while I stood there clutching my chest.  
“it’s not your job to keep me safe, Killua.” Gon was the calm one now?  
“You’re my best friend,” Gon reached for me but I pushed him away I can’t do this.   
“your job is to be my friend, it’s not your fault if I get hurt.”  
“Yes it is!” I grabbed him and shook him, I wanted to hit him for being so stupid. “My family is the one that took you, I wasn’t the one that did the job because I was too busy trying to run away from my problems. I could have stopped it, had I been there, had I been the one that was supposed to kidnap you–”  
“we wasn’t friends then, you probably would have done your job.” He yelled back at me. “you saved me, Killua, why do you keep trying to make yourself the bad guy when you’re not!”   
“If I had just–”  
“You aren’t the bad guy, stupid!” He shoved me down and pinned me against the ground “and I’m not getting off you until you admit it. you’re not bad.” He had that look in his eyes, he wasn’t going to give in on this, but why, why should he care, why can’t he just let me keep him safe. 

“Gon–”   
Iku’s nen made use both stop, look up and she was right there with Hisoka.   
“interesting.” Hisoka looks down at us, his long finger tapping at his lip.  
“you guys okay?” Iku asked her eyes flickering between us.  
“I think we’re interrupting.” Hisoka looks at her.  
“I think you can disappear again.” She snaps, obviously irritated. I shoved Gon off.  
“Why didn’t you warn us about nen training.” I demanded.   
“It was self–explanatory and even if I had you would have thought I was just making excuses.” She answered me honestly, that was honestly right?  
“I–”  
“Iku, you were in the woods right, you found us.” Gon ran straight up to her, he trusted her, so soon? How? How did he do that?  
“I did.”  
“Your teacher is so brave.” Hisoka mocked Iku  
Even Gon didn’t miss the mocking tone to Hisoka’s voice.   
“She fought me just to make sure I wouldn’t bother you boys while you were resting.” Hisoka ran his fingers up the back of Iku’s head and through her hair she tensed up, her hands curling into fists.  
“knock that off.” I snap at him. “no one wants your hands on them.”   
Hisoka leaned down so we were face to face “are you going to fight me next little boy.” He hooked his nail under my chin and then he stumbled back.   
“keep your hands off him.” Iku’s eyes were filled with anger, her nen thickened by the second, nowhere near what I felt before but it was enough that I was intimidated.   
“woah.” Gon looks to me “did you see that?”  
“no…” she really is strong, strong as she needs to be… stronger than me and Gon, stronger than Hisoka… maybe she can be stronger than Illumi too.  
“I’m not gonna bother you guys but please let me use my ability on you.” She offered her hands to us Hisoka looks like he actually enjoyed being hit in the face by Iku.   
“Please.” Gon grabs her hand without hesitation.   
“whatever.” I took her hand and her warmth spread through me.” I’ll replenish your nen fast but it’s going to make you sleepy. Take a nap under a tree or get a room, just be safe.” She started to hum and the warmth intensified.   
“it’s a rather pleasant feeling isn’t it?” Hisoka was bent at the waist talking to Gon.   
“sure is.” He smiled as if he didn’t’ understand why everyone else disliked him.  
“you’ve felt it?” Gon at least asked that much.  
“After we fought she was worn out from that mirror ability, took on a lot of damage, the poor dear and since she couldn’t get the energy from anywhere else and I had plenty to spare, not that she needed much.” He scratched the top of her head and I could feel her nen tense up.   
“no touching while I’m working.” She pressed her nen out and pushed him away.  
“none of you are any fun.” Hisoka crossed his arms and pouted at us. Iku finished up replenishing our nen and Gon hugged her.  
“Thank you, Iku.” Gon holds onto her and Iku for about five seconds looks like she had been sucker punched right in the gut, she got the glassy look again and hesitantly wrapped her arms around Gon.  
“No problem, kid.” Her arms shook as she held him. When I looked at Gon he was looking at me like he was waiting for me to say something.  
“Iku…” I shifted from foot to foot, I know what Gon wanted me to do “thanks for healing us, we’ll be more careful.”   
Gon looks hurt and Iku looks broken when she let him go. Sorry, Iku but theres not enough room for three of us.  
“I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” Gon looks Iku in the eye and while her eyes were still a bit glassy she looked normal for the most part.   
“I’m sure we will.” Iku patted his head and then mine “please be careful.”   
“Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time.” I didn’t push her away, she must still be using her ability because there was still warmth coming from her fingertips.   
“lets go.” Iku moved so much faster than I thought she could, so fast I couldn’t see her movements when she didn’t want me to. She had her hand hooked onto Hisoka’s and dragged him away from us.   
“I’ll see you around boys.” Hisoka waved at us, Iku yanked him forward mumbling something like “not if I have a say about it.”   
I could already feel Gon’s eyes shift over to me as soon as Iku was out of sight.  
“Why didn’t you say he could come with us, we need her to train our nen faster, we have to get stronger now, Killua.” His eyes were so intense I didn’t want to look at them.   
“Gon, the world… it’s not a good place, Iku seems like she’s good and maybe she is but we can’t risk that.”  
“Well maybe I’m willing to.” Gon countered, I expected as much from him. I looks him in the eye and all I could see was losing him. IKu betraying us, Hisoka taking him away from me, Illumi using him against me.  
“Yeah? We’ll I’m not.” I tucked my hands back into my pockets but compared to Iku’s warmth I still feel cold.   
“alright then.” Gon sighed “how about a nap and some food.” His smile wasn’t quite as bright but he was willing to put up with it… me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting I’ll post several chapters tonight, this story is complete in my own documents, I’m just rereading each chapter before posting to clean it up a smidge.   
> I would love to hear your thoughts. I am working towards being an author so what you’re liking (plot and story wise, I do like to keep fanfic related writing more relaxed so i am for legible bit not grammatically perfect. I’d rather get feedback on the story itself.   
> Thank you so much in advanced.  
> Also i will be doing a giveaway when i hit 10k on TikTok (currently at 7k) and 1k on the Ig I just started for my cosplay.   
> @ nunchigoya Tiktok  
> @ Nunchi.trash IG


	13. Iku

Hisoka walked beside me as if we was friends.  
“You’re much stronger than I thought you were, you hide it well behind that big sister act, huh.” He combed his fingers through my hair again.  
“Can you knock that off?” I smacked his hand away   
“is sister okay to use?” Hisoka continued twirling my hair around his fingers.   
“big sister is preferred yes, but can you stop with my hair?”  
“You’d have such lovely hair if you cared about it.” he tugged at it.   
“quite it!” I rammed my elbow into his side but he used his nen to absorb most of the impact. “and what makes you think I don’t care about my hair?”   
“It’s in knots, it’s always tied up in these pigtails, which do nothing for your already childlike…everything.”   
“I’m totally taking advice from a six foot plus spikey haired ginger.”   
“Strawberry blond, first off.” He pulled the hair ties out of my hair and threw them aside.   
“hey!” I snap at him “that’s to keep it out of the way.”   
“I thought that might make you look a little older but you still look like you’re 12.” He sighed and ruffled my hair.   
“knock that off!” I shove at him and he laughs. He caught my arm this time and yanked me clear off the ground.  
“Are you going to make me?” he bit my nose.  
“What the hell!” I grabs his face to shove him away but without my mirror there wasn’t a whole lot I could do here.  
“You don’t look older but you do look much better.” He bit my nose again and dropped me.   
“you’re such a creep!” I rubbed at my nose and he laughed.  
“we could be friends, you and I?” he wore a teasing smile but there was a note of severity in his eyes.  
“and why would I want to do that?” I crossed my arms and stopped directly in front of him. I came to about his waist, but his height was the last of the things that scared me about him.   
“we have similar goals, we are both powerful.”  
“we are nothing alike.” I turned my back on him. He stepped in front of me this time   
“We are so alike you can’t stand me.” He smiles and I shove passed him.  
“Such a short temper.” He sauntered beside me as if we were out for a stroll.   
“How long are you going to follow me around for?” I sighed, annoyed but defeated. Unless I wanted to fight him again there wasn’t anything I could do.  
“I suppose until you stop being so entertaining.” He purred combing his fingers through my hair.  
“knock it off.” I swung my arm out again but he dodged it this time.   
“I’m sorry you’ll just have to get used to it little one,” he did it again just to irritate me.   
“why are you even following Gon and Killua around?” I snaps trying to whack his hand away again.   
“I was concerned for Gon.”   
I didn’t expect an honest answer   
“but he seems to have a good sense of people, makes good friends.” He slid a glance at me “chooses good teachers.”  
“Why should you be worried about him?” I gave him my own side eye. He came off pervy on first meet.  
“that’s my business isn’t it, little girl.” He smiles flashing pearly whites and sharper than average teeth. “you still owe me for the energy.” He scratched the top of my head with his long nails.  
“I already told you.” I flashed my own teeth at him “it’s not my fault you were passed out for it.”  
“I suppose you’ll have to tell me again.” His fingers trailed through my hair and gripped the back of my neck. The memory of fear traveled up and down my spine, his fingers awakening old ghosts and other fingers. He let go and watched me for a moment.   
“The ability I used is called God’s eye, I can use it to keep track of anyone who I’ve had a sample of their nen.”  
“sample as in used, you can keep an eye on me now?” He surprised me by not touching my hair again.   
“if I wanted to waste my time and energy, yes, I could.” I shove my hands into my pocket, he was getting on my nerves.   
“look who’s the stalker now.” he chuckled when I slid a glare at him. “you’re just as bad as Killua with people.” Hisoka clicked his tongue “you can’t trust anyone, the only reason you took any interested in the boys is because of those brothers you mentioned.” He stroked my hair “do you even really care about them or are you using them to fill a void?”  
“I think it’s none of your business.” I already knew how right he was “and I don’t think it matters anymore, they’re on their own path and I’ve got my own problems to deal with.”  
“You’re more or less headed in the same direction, you really think you’re not going to run into them again?” He trailed his fingers through my hair, tugging on a few tangles.   
“Ow.” I tried to shake him off but he was persistent and he was doing it on purpose.   
“It doesn’t matter!” I yelled much louder than I meant to. “Killua doesn’t trust me and he shouldn’t. Gon will side with his friend.”   
“Gon seems to like you, he may wear Killua down.” Hisoka twirled a lock of my hair around and his fingers. “and do you really think you have that kind of self–control? To deny them if they were to extend a hand and offer a place with them?”  
“You should really mind your business and get lost.” I yanked my hair from his hand “I don’t particularly like company.”   
“and yet here you are stuck with me.” Hisoka patted my head and I debated on the odds of being able to take him out without completely damaging myself.   
“I was going to save, Gon, if Killua hadn’t.” His tone completely changed, that sadistic glimmer dimmed a bit.   
“Save him from what?” I had no idea Gon needed saving.  
“I suppose they haven’t told you about that.” Hisoka clicked his tongue “I suppose Killua wouldn’t, he’s so secretive, that boy.” His smile churned my stomach there was something about the accompanying chuckle that set me on edge. As if he could snap at any moment.  
“That.” I gestured to all of him “is why no one wants to be around you.”   
“You may have their attention but I have their secrets, Iku.” He rested a hand on my shoulder to stop me and leaned down so that his lips was just brushing my ear. “would you like to know them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are you predictions?  
> What do you think of Iku?  
> This is a five books series, the first three drafts are done and the next two i will write next month, they are 35000 words a piece.   
> Please let me know if there is something in particular you’d like to see or I’d something doesn’t make sense to you.


	14. Gon

“Iku.” Killua mumbled Iku’s name in his sleep a lot. I know he likes her, he just doesn’t know why. He always has to know why. He just doesn’t understand that sometimes the why doesn’t matter. Sometimes you just have to go with you gut.   
“You’re a really funny kind of assassin.” I poked at his face hoping to wake him up but when he’s out and it’s just us and there’s no danger he sleeps like the dead.   
“I bet if any real danger showed up you’d be on your feet in a heartbeat, huh?” I laid my head on his stomach and looks up at the stars, he still didn’t’ wake up.   
“I wish Iku was here to put me to sleep.” Iku just made everything feel so much lighter, so much better. Killua is right about one thing, we need to keep going. I need to find the person that tried to get me kidnapped.   
“I miss my mom and dad.” I spoke to the sky because I couldn’t tell Killua that. He left his entire family to save me. After I get back with my family, he’ll still only have me, “I hope you’ll stay with me, Killua. I want to be best friends with you forever.”  
“Iku.” He frowned a little in his sleep and his hand curled around my wrist. I winced but didn’t pull away. The rope burns and cuff cuts were still healing, they still hurt.   
“Gon!” Killua jerked up shoving me off him a little too easily, I know he’s strong, I don’t think I ever really get to see just how strong but it’s moments like these I really feel how weak I am. Iku fought Hisoka and Illumi and walked away without any damage and Killua is a trained assassin. He can just kill people who try to hurt him.  
“What’s wrong?” I pushed myself upright. Killua was curled forward like he was trying to protect his chest.   
“Gon?” Killua’s eyes were huge and he looks at me like he saw a ghost.  
“I’m right here,” I threw my arm over his shoulders but he flinched. “I’m sorry–” Killua wrapped his arms around me and squeezed, he felt cold.   
“Are you okay?” I hugged him back and sat there with him.   
“yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He laughs all stiff “course I’m fine, just–just–just had a weird dream is all.”  
“Weird dream?” I ask “like a nightmare?”   
“kind of, only I wasn’t scared just… didn’t…didn’t know what to do.” He hugged me tighter.  
“Was it about me?”   
“You were in it.” He at least told me that much, he never tells me things.   
“Did I die?” His nails dug into my arms when he squeezed them.   
“It’s okay, Killua, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” I hugged him back “but I think we should take a break from looking, lets just have some fun.”   
“But we have to get you back to your parents.” His voice was still kind of shaky.   
“We’ll get there eventually, I wanna have some fun with you first.” I did need to get home but Killua was more worried about it than me. It’s not your job to keep me safe I don’t understand why he didn’t know that.   
“Whatever.” He tried to sound like his usual self but it was forced “we can do what you want.”   
“It’s festival season around this time, one of the towns we go to should be just in the middle of one.” Locked my hands and dragged him up and over so that I had him pinned against the ground.   
“Hey, have you ever been to a festival?” he flipped me over way too easily, I puffed my cheeks out at him.   
“I let you do that.” I lied. He laughs and it sounded like him again.   
“Sure you did.” He seemed to think for a second before falling back and sitting down. “The only time I’ve been to a festival is when my brother took me to kill someone from the top of the ferris wheel. I don’t remember the kill much but I do remember the lights, we were so high up and the lights were below us… it kind of felt like we were flying.”   
I stayed quite as possible, he almost never shared things like this and I didn’t want to miss even a single word.   
“What about you?” Killua ask.  
“What about me?”  
“Have you been to a lot of festivals?”  
“My parents took me every season, we’d go to different ones during the season and my dad would win my mom and me prizes and we’d go on all sorts of rides. And the snacks are always awesome!”  
“The snacks huh?” Killua smiles, I knew he’d like that.   
“Sure, we can take a break, Illumi could show up any day now so we should rest up, make sure we’re at full strength. Maybe I can convince him it’ll be beneficial for my training to keep going.” He rubbed his chin. “That might work actually, maybe it’ll even give us enough time to get strong enough to beat him.”   
“Killua.” I interrupted him “We’re just having fun, okay?” He looks at me for a few moments before he seemed to finally get out of his head and see me. When he finally did he just smiled and nodded.  
“Okay, Gon, whatever you want.”  
I Want it to be whatever we want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you’re enjoying the story thus far and stick around. I’m new to ao3. I usually post to fan fiction.net but finally got around to being on here.   
> Would love to see some comments if you’re feeling it.   
> As always thanks for reading  
> XOXO


	15. Iku

Hisoka slammed me into the ground “you’ll have to be stronger than that if you want to protect anyone.”  
“I wasn’t even ready.” I dug my nails into his hand but he wasn’t phased.   
“you’ll never be ready because you have the idiotic misperception that you only need to be strong enough.” His hand tightened around my neck “are you even strong enough or do you just tell yourself that to make yourself feel better.”   
“Shut up!” I planted my feet into his stomach and shoved. He did release me and fall back I leapt at him and struck him with a solid kick.  
“Much better.” He tried to catch my ankle but I expanded the nen around my foot and blocked his hand. He crashed through a few trees and skid into the river.   
“I don’t need to be the strongest and I don’t need to pick fights with anyone who crosses my path, I just need to be strong enough to protect those I care about–”  
He slammed into me, pinning me to the ground, he sat on my stomach and smiled, his face not an inch from mine.  
“If you want to be strong enough to protect everyone you care about then you have to be the strongest. Stronger than me, stronger than Illumi, stronger than your own fears. Being strong enough means being the strongest.” He nipped my nose again.  
“quite–”  
“the next time you say you are strong enough, you had better be the strongest one on the room.” He started to move but I started to hum.   
“Are you going to entertain me now my little pet…” his eyes glazed over, my nen encircled him, I lost my own perception of everything around me and it was just him and me.   
Use up all your nen. I Commanded it through my nen, I kept humming the song. It was haunting and chilled me to my core. I hate this ability. I don’t know how it manifested but I hate it and everything it does… It does have it’s uses. It’s great for killing people.   
“What are you doing?” Hisoka’s smile was gone, his nen leaking out of him faster than I thought.   
“How are you…” He looks up, he was more confused than scared but I saw anger there too. The annoyance at having underestimated an opponent, the irritation of being blind sided when you were so confident.   
I stopped humming but his nen didn’t stop leaking out. I felt detached and thin from everything.   
Stop I gave my final command and took my nen off him. I fell to my knees and laid my head in the grass.   
“That’s an interesting ability.” He was shaky getting up himself. “What do you call it?”  
“Siren’s song.” I couldn’t not answer, taking the will power of someone else cost me my own, I only use it to finish the job so that they don’t have the chance to use this part against me.   
“Why answer me so easily.”  
“Can’t help it.” I hate this  
“Fascinating.” He sat beside me and stroked my hair. “well that was fun.” He ran his fingers though my hair like I was actually some kind of pet.   
“Rest for now, we can pick this up once you recover. In the meantime, I’ll tell you a story about a boy and how his parents hired a family of assassins to kidnap him.”


	16. Killua

“Come on, Killua!” Gon dragged me through the third town, without using up our nen we could get through the paths much faster.   
“This is it, this is it!” Gon dragged me into a garden and the air filled with butterflies, he was loud and wild and charged in, waving his arms around, scattering the butterflies around. He whirled around and jumped like a real kid. Gon is a real kid, he is sunshine and laughter. I’m afraid I’ll taint him if I stand too close.   
“Hey…” Gon’s smile fell when he saw me, panic seared through me. What, what did I do this time, I can’t ruin this, I don’t ever want to lose–  
“how come the butterflies are landing on you and not me.” Gon pointed at my shirt. Several butterflies had taken up residence on my shirt. I laugh part because of course they wouldn’t land on him he was too lose loud and party because I had considered myself fearless up until the moment Gon lost his smile on sight of me.   
“Come here.” I waved him over, some of the butterflies moved but didn’t fly away until he got close.   
“first you have to calm down, your natural energy is excited, butterflies like calm, still.” I rested my hand on his head, I felt sick repeating these motions and these words. “slow your heartrate, calm your mind, breathe.” Gon did his best to follow my instructions but he wasn’t naturally calm, he struggled to keep from fidgeting.   
“it’s not working.” Gon sighed, more butterflies had landed on me.   
“sure it is.” One adventurous butterfly landed on his nose.  
“Killua look!” His voice scared the butterflies away but he cheered on anyway. “Did you see it, one landed right on my nose!”   
“Yeah, I saw it.”   
“How did you learn how to do it?” Gon finally stopped his jumping to look at me.   
“It was part of my training.” I shoved my hands into my pockets “Illumi taught me, assassins have to be pretty quiet you know.” I tried to make a joke but it was stiff to my own ears.   
“Yeah… I guess they do.” He was struggling for something to say and if Gon is struggling, that’s when I know I’ve let too much out,   
“Where are the snacks you promised?” I grab his arm and pull him away from the butterflies.   
“We’ll get candy apples and cotton candy and fried oreos.” He took the lead in the next stride and dragged me through town, people made way for Gon. 

Gon did all the talking, all the picking and all the yelling as we ran around the festival, with treats in hand. He stopped at a booth and for the first time his eyes glassed over, kind of like Iku’s do when she’s thinking about her brothers.   
“What’s wrong?”   
“Gon!” the man sounded just as happy as Gon. My blood felt like it iced over, is it his dad? Is this really it, the last time I see him? His parents will be happy to have him back, he won’t need me anymore. I don’t want him to have to keep looking if he’s already got his family, I’ll have to go on my own, I’ll track down the person that hired our family.   
“Yuu.” Gon smiles at the man behind the table.   
“You gonna try to win something for your friend here?” Yuu gestured to me.   
“This is my best friend, Killua.” Gon dragged me forward again.   
“Well, ready to take up the mantle, Gon?” Yuu extended some darts to Gon but Gon’s smile wasn’t quite as big, his eyes were a bit too dull.”   
“I’ll take a shot.” I swiped the darts and handed over some money.   
“hit three balloons get a small prize, hit any of the rings between the balloons without popping the balloons and get a big one.”  
“Pfft, too easy.” I hit the rings and Gon smiles, still sad but he pointed to a stuffed cat.  
“that’s a small, you sure you want that?” Yuu ask.  
“Yeah.” Gon reached for it and cradled it.  
“Gon…” I nudged him with my shoulder. He looks like he was about to cry but when he looks at me and he smiles, I shove him.   
“Come on, I wanna go on the ferris wheel.” I dragged him behind me this time and he clutched that stupid little cat plushie.   
“Hurry up!” I yanked on him just to distract him.   
“I’m coming.” His voice wasn’t as excited but he did hurry up.

I don’t care too much about the things, I don’t even like my family all that much but I as the ride pulled us up into the sky and over the lights and Gon finally smiles his real smile again.  
“Look at it, Killua.” His smile was over half his face, he kicked his feet. I followed his eyes out and this was so much better than when I was with Illumi. If that felt like flying this felt like freedom.  
“it’s so amazing, huh, Killua!” Gon’s laugh filled the air and up here.  
“we’re kings!” Gon laughs loud and hard and he swung the cart, I followed his lead kicking my legs in time with his so we rocked back and forth.  
“Hey!” The voice came from below “you kids, knock that off!”   
Gon didn’t seem to her him, I chose to ignore him. I closed my eyes and savored it, freedom doesn’t last forever, Gon isn’t mine to keep and eventually Illumi will catch me and I’ll have to resume my training but for right now he was untouchable. 

We went up again and again, until the festival died down and everyone went to sleep and they told us it was the last ride.   
“wanna find an inn or hotel?” I ask, Gon swayed and yawned.   
“nah, I wanna sleep by the river, it’s really nice out tonight.”  
You’re not worried about Tamotsu, or Illumi?” It was a nice night,   
“No, I have a good feeling about tonight.” Gon wrapped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me along, he almost made us both fall when he mistepped.   
“You’re such a kid.” I shook my head at him “the second it’s passed your bed time you’re out.  
“Killua.” He yawned again “we are kids.”  
I don’t know why his words felt so much like an epiphany, but for just a few seconds, I did see it. Gon and I as equals Gon and I as kids. 

Author's Note:   
Thank you for the kudos, it's only a few but they make me smile whenever I see them.   
I'd love to see some and comments if anyone is feeling it. it's been a rough end of the year for me so really anything would be great.   
or it it's been a rough couple of months or year for you. (like especially rough) I'd love to chat.   
thanks you to anyone who lays eyes on this story and i hope that my words can help you escape even just a little.   
see you tomorrow   
XOXO


	17. Chapter 17: Iku

“How was your nap?” Hisoka holds onto my wrist as he walked me through the woods.  
“I’m still tired.”   
“I think it’s only fair that since I’ve told you my story you tell me yours.” Hisoka watches everything in the same way a cat watches a mouse but before I could even try to stop myself my mouth was already moving.   
“I have two little brothers, and a step father. My mother died and we were left with him. I hate him, he deserves to die so I’m going to kill him.” I wanted that to be it, please just let that be all he knows.   
“Why do you want him dead so badly?” Hisoka ran his fingertips up my arm, my hoodie at least muted the feeling.   
“Is it to do with your scars?” His voice was a dangerous purr.   
“Not the external ones.” Shut up,Iku, shut up  
“do tell me about these scars.” Hisoka sounded so absolutely pleased with this discovery.   
“He was a horrible man that did what he wanted with who he wanted and took pleasure in hurting the children he was charged to protect.” My nen pulsed and thickened.   
“do you find me attractive little pet.” He combed through my hair again.   
“No, you give me the creeps. Your pants look like they’re barely holding on and hip dips dip too much but the long sleeved turtle neck crop top looks good.”  
“since we’re giving out fashion advice, why don’t you take that hoodie off and leave it tied around your waist. quite covering up so much, that little number you’ve got under it looks very nice on you.”   
I couldn’t stop my arms from following his instruction, I felt exposed without it on.   
“why do you wear that thing all the time?”  
“no one takes a second glance at person in an oversized hoodie.” Please shut up Iku “it helps me hide.”  
“you don’t want to be seen?” Hisoka’s surprise was so obvious I laugh, of course he couldn’t understand the desire to be hidden, look at him, he claims everyone’s attention on entrance.   
“why would I want to be seen, there is nothing to see.” It came out more depressing than I meant, to someone who doesn’t know me, I’m not all that bad but my mistakes are not small, they are unforgivable I am unredeemable, the only thing I can do is kill the one who caused so much pain and free my little brothers from his grasp.   
“I’m sure my opinion means very little to you, Iku.” Hisoka’s tone lost the mocking edge   
“it doesn’t.” I assured him  
“but I happen to like what I see.” He paused, maybe waiting for me to trip over myself, maybe waiting to see my reaction just to say he was joking but that smile crawled across his face and a shiver traveled down my spine.  
“I could tell you anything and you’d have no choice but to comply, huh.” He giggled and slid his fingers through my hair.  
“I’m very susceptible to suggestion right now, I could very easily kill someone on your suggestion.” Shut up, Iku.”  
“Is that so?” He guided me off the path we were on and gently pushed me back until I felt the bark of a tree trunk against my back. Fear has always been cold, nitrogen seemed to fill and solidify my bloodstream.   
“I could suggest we have some fun, couldn’t I?” he licked my nose.  
“this is why I think you’re creepy.” I tried to stay calm although with my abilities cost was still in effect and being tired the physical signs weren’t hard to hide.   
“Do you think I’m creepy or a creep.” He had to bend at the waist to hover his face in front of mine but he did it. “there’s a different pet.”  
“both depending on circumstance.” At least that was a truth I didn’t mind him knowing.   
“I see.” He seemed a little annoyed at that. “what were your brother’s names?”   
“Marise and Hisahito .”  
“How old were they?”  
“The last time I saw them “marise was 7 and Hisahito was 6.”  
“How old were you?”  
“12.”  
“How old are you now?” he did look interested.   
“twenty–three, I told you that one already.”   
“just thought I’d take the opportunity to confirm.” He turned and knelt “climb on, I’ll carry you so you can rest.”   
“I don’t want to, just so you know.” My body obeyed, he pulled my arms around his neck and started to walk.   
“Tell me about your little brothers.” His voice changed, it was almost… soothing.  
“Marise and Hishahito were the best, we were a family, they wanted to be fighters.” My saliva got thick and my heart ached and my arms tightened around Hisoka for comfort. I hate Siren’s song I hate that ability almost as much as I hate myself. I always do things I’d never do.  
“You loved your little brothers a lot.” He wasn’t asking but I nodded anyway.   
“I’d die for them… or I always thought I would… when it came down to it, I left them.” Tears fell freely.  
“we all make mistakes.” Hisoka looks at me “why are you shaking, are you so afraid of me?”  
“I failed.” I ground my teeth together wanting this to stop “I hate my abilities.”  
“one who hates their abilities, hates themselves.”   
“I know that.”  
“one who hates themselves and their abilities can never develop them properly.”  
“I know.” I tried to hide my face in his shoulder but he pushed his shoulder up so that he could still see me.   
“If I want to see you at your full potential I suppose I’ll just have to teach you how to love yourself.” He grinned at me. I glared at him.   
“coming from a true narcist.” I closed my eyes on him, on the world that holds one reason for me to keep waking up.   
“So,” he started “are you just using Gon and Killua to fill the void or do you care for them as individuals now that you’ve spent some time with them.”  
“I don’t know.” My hands clung to him, as if this creep could offer me anything I needed or wanted. “when I first met them all I could see was Marise and Hisahito, I kept mistaking them for my brothers but… they’re different. I can see that now but… leaving them hurt just as much as leaving my brothers.”  
“Why did you leave them?” Hisoka did sound like he genuinely wanted to know, not that I had a choice about telling them   
“I wasn’t strong enough to protect them. I couldn’t get stronger there.” I yawned, I felt my resolve to stay awake slipping.   
“do you need more sleep?”   
“That or you could give me some nen.” I felt myself sliding down but I kind of hope he did drop me,   
“Sorry, pet, I don’t like that god’s eye ability of yours.” He looks back and let me slide down more, his arms folded behind him so that it created a seat for me.   
“how long before you won’t be able to check up on me.”  
“usually 3 days, Killua and Gon, I’ve got a stronger hold on, them I’ll probably be able to keep an eye on for about a month. I only sampled enough energy from you to get back on my feet. Maybe another 24 hours, maybe less.”  
“Good, I’ll be your companion until that nifty ability of yours expires.” He let me sink down further so that his arms was more relaxed and I was curled between his shoulder blades   
“get some rest then, I’ll take you to the next town.”  
“I don’t trust you.”   
“you don’t have to.” He chuckled “there’s nothing you can do about our current situation.”  
“I hate you.”   
“both fortunately and unfortunately for you I don’t feel the same.”   
“why is it both?”   
“because I’d kill you if I did and you are stuck with me because I don’t.”  
“Just leave me under a tree. I’ll fully recover in a few days.”  
“you want me to leave an impressionable young person under a tree to fend for themselves for a few days?” he sounded especially appalled “don’t you know how dangerous that is, a creepy young man may scoop you up and carry you away.”  
“you just explained my current situation.”   
“You’re stubbornness is endearing but if you are to recover at all you need to rest. So rest.” He commanded it this time, my body relaxed and I was 100% reliant on him to hold me up.   
“Go to sleep, Iku.”   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks you for reading  
> I'm new to ao3 but have been writing on fanfiction.net mostly.   
> HunterxHunter is currently one of my favorite animes and has become rather inspiring for me.   
> this is a 3-5 book series, 3 of the books are written and i'm jsut doing some light edits before posting each chapter. i have book 4 and 5 planned to write this month and next month. I;'ve been writing these books in week increments, so planning a lot and then once that's ready I write about 5000 words a day to get this novella length story finished.   
> if you'd like to keep up to date on thsoe challenges or write along with me i have a tiktok @ bookish_pixie and an IG @ nunchigoya for purley writing or check out my nunchi.trash ig for cosplay and specific anime related content and my anime/cosplay tiktok @ nunchigoya
> 
> thanks again for reading and if you have any thoughts you'd like to share i am all ears.   
> XOXO


	18. Chapter 18: Iku

Hisoka did leave the second he was sure my God’s eye wasn’t effective on him anymore, I could still feel where he was but I couldn’t see what he was doing. The second I got the chance I’d kill him but I didn’t need to right now, right now I was strong enough.  
The woods were peaceful, I skipped the last two towns and hunted and fished instead. I expanded my nen, training it to take up more space, the more I could use the more stamina I build up and I’ll be able to outlast anyone, I’ll always be as strong as I need to be because no one will be able to compete as long as I can.   
“a little further.” I pressed father, I had about a mile radius, it was a little hard to tell without a town as a marker.   
“A little more.” I pushed harder, I could do this, I need a full mile. The nen training slowed me down and wore me out but its good, it kept me focused, it kept me from thinking.   
“A little more.” My knees shook with each step, I was doing the exact thing I warned Killua and Gon about.   
“A little more.” I gave one more push, sweat beaded along my forehead and made my palms sticky.   
“that’s enough.” I breathed through the strain I was putting myself through. It was a little much, its slowing me down but I was getting closer to home, I needed to be as strong as possible when I fought him. He had hurt too much, I couldn’t lose to him. I wouldn’t lose to him.   
“Marise, Hisahito, I am coming for you.” My anger filled my nen and it expanded more.  
“That’s too much, have to be careful–” Gon and Killua’s nen caught in mine, I was near the next town, they must be there. There was something agitated about their nen, something was up. I closed my eyes Gon and Killua it was easy to find them sense they were already in my nen and it was both of them together. I could see them from the distance of their nen around them and from eachother’s eyes. Killua looks angry and Gon was nervous. I drew my nen back, my god’s eyes still on them and bolted. My nen acted as a booster carrying me through thee woods. Twenty minutes, it’ll take me twenty minutes at this speed.  
“Faster… FASTER!” panic came on suddenly, “I’m coming!” I knew they couldn’t hear me. “Gon… Killua!” tears filled my eyes, panic acted as a battery “I’m coming!”


	19. Chapter 19: Killua

Gon slept till noon, I tried to catch something to eat but I was better at killing people. My stomach growled but I didn’t want to wake Gon until he was ready.  
“Iku caught the squirrel so easily.” I slapped the water and sat down. Guess I’ll do some nen training. Watching Iku slowly expand her nen was easy enough, build up stamina, feel for the limit and push passed it enough to increase my stamina without completely draining myself. That’s easy enough, it’s not rocket science.  
My nen bumped into Gon’s, he didn’t seem to notice. I pressed at it a little further, trying to encompass him in my nen. Iku made this look so easy, she constantly had her nen around us and replenished our own nen so we didn’t even realize the strain.  
Exactly how strong is she, she says strong enough but that’s crazy strong. Strong enough would mean she could take on anyone that crossed our paths. Then again, she did fight both Hisoka and Illumi and got away with no damage. She needed to be saved when we first met though, that doesn’t make any sense. She wasn’t strong enough in that moment or maybe she just didn’t have the chance to power up. She must have been caught off guard but that didn’t make sense either since she constantly has her nen expanded around several meters. That thing wasn’t even dangerous, had she been on another fight before that, maybe she was already worn out.   
“woah.” My nen snaps back around me and I fell back, my heart raced, and I was breathing too hard.   
“damn, I lost focus.” I must have put out too much energy…I guess I should sleep while I can.   
***  
The birds chirping and prodding from Gon’s nen woke me up. Gon sat directly over me  
“Killua, you’re awake!” he grabs my arm and yanked me to my feet “come on, I’m hungry lets go eat in town, maybe we can get more festival food.”  
“Yeah, sounds good.” My nen was low but not unmanageable I’d have to let it replenish though. That was so stupid, I can’t believe I used up my nen so quickly.

“you sure slept awhile.” Gon laughs   
“I slept awhile?” I snaps at him “I got bored waiting for you to wake up and exercised my nen.”   
“Hey…” Gon looks like I actually hurt his feelings “you were training without me?”   
“you were sleeping.” I rolled my eyes but I really hoped he was just joking. Gon smiles and gave me a sideways look.   
“you over did it huh?”   
“shut up, I was trying something new.” I don’t know why I was so embarrassed, we both over did it the first time and Gon was definitely a known over-doer.   
Gon just stared at me for a moment.  
“What?” I snap again.  
“you’re just so amazing.” He smiles at me. I grab his hand and dragged him forward.  
“Come on, I’m hungry.”   
“Yeah, lets go!” He matched pace with me and we charged forward as a unit. 

Town was calm compared to last night but the festival was still going on.   
“I want more of those oreos.” I retraced our steps to the stand we had been at last night.   
“what’s going on over there?” Gon yanked me toward the crowd and away from my fried oreos.   
“Gon! I want my snacks.”   
“in a sec I want to see what’s going on.”  
“it’s none of our business¬ –”  
“That’s them.” The Ferris wheel guy pointed at us and Gon froze like he just got caught at something.  
“Who’s them.” I demanded.  
“What’s wrong?” Gon ask stepping forward “did someone get hurt?”  
“don’t play dumb, kid.” The Ferris wheel guy walked right up to Gon, I’ll kill him if he so much as touches Gon.  
“you and your friend were the last ones here last night and now all the money from my station is gone.” He glared at   
“What, that’s terrible!” Gon was just as upset as them.  
“I said don’t play dumb.” He reached for Gon and I grab his hand.  
“reach for him again and I’ll be taking your hand.” I threatened, the crowd silenced.   
“just tell us what you boys did with the money.” Yuu stepped forward and spoke to Gon. “please, if you give the money back you guys can just go, we can all just go on with our day.”  
“but we didn’t steal it, Yuu, you have to believe me.” Gon pleaded with his old friend. Mr. Yuu sighed; the disappointment clear in his voice.  
“your father would be so disappointed, Gon.”  
“my… fa…” Gon had never looked so hurt.   
A woman screamed and Yuu was on the ground, I had my hand around his neck and my nen pulsed around us, much farther than it should be.   
“someone call head of security.” I don’t know who yelled it but I’d kill everyone in the this square.   
“look kid.” Yuu started, sweat trailing down the side of his face.  
“you take back what you said to Gon.” I sharpened my nen so he could feel the it like a blade against his throat.  
“if he’s making friends like you, no wonder he’s gone bad.” Yuu glared at me.   
“some friend you are.” I shot back “you didn’t even give him a chance to defend himself.”   
“Killua, that’s enough.” Gon had never sounded so small. “lets just go, they’re not going to believe us.”  
“you’re not going anywhere!” someone else grabs Gon’s shoulder. I lunged at him and crashed into something much bigger. A vice clamped around my neck and holds me above the crowd. That nen had goosebumps raising all over my arm.   
“return the money or you’re both coming with me.” he had Gon by the arm, not that Gon was fighting him.   
“we didn’t take it, stupid.” I kicked at him but his nen pressed over me “they accused us with no evidence and they tried to grab Gon first.” I kicked again but his nen was heavy, I felt like I was going to be ripped in two from it.   
“You two were the last ones at the Ferris wheel.” The Ferris wheel guy yelled.   
“you shut up, you have no proof.” The nen increased pulling my body from my head. “for all we know, you were dumb enough to lose it or you stole it for yourself –ah!” my bones were starting to give, that wasn’t the problem, the problem was Gon slowly sinking lower and lower until he was on his knees.   
“He’s not fighting, just leave him alone.” I struggled, “fight me if you want to fight someone, I’ll fight you, I’ll fight all of you!”   
“It won’t be a fight.” The man’s hand tightened around my throat, his nen’s weight increased pulling me apart.   
No, I won’t die like this, I won’t fail Gon like this!  
His nen was too much, it was too heavy and just like that it was gone, Iku’s nen is like breathing for the first time,   
“You will let go of him.” Iku stood just outside of the crowd she walked through, her nen pulsing out and pushing people out of the way.   
“Iku…” her eyes weren’t ’t normal, they were flat, dark, I knew those eyes. Killer’s eyes.  
“get your hands off of him now.” her nen was split, the nen around me was light and caring the nen attacking everyone else was dark and heavy and tainted with death.


	20. Chapter 20

That nen was dangerous, the boys weren’t ready for that, it was fully developed and the kind that attacked the nen of another. Gon was drowning in sadness and Killua was furious and desperate. He was caught in the nen and it was actively attacking him, if he hurts Killua I’ll kill him on sight. If they are the reason for Gon’s sadness I will torment them.   
Their nens were easy to follow, the crowd was a good clue and the giant man holding Killua up by his neck while he forced Killua’s nen to pull him apart was a dead giveaway.   
“you will let go of him.” I called out surrounding all of them in my nen, I encased Gon and Killua in my natural nen and the rest of them in my killer’s intent nen. Killua relaxed when he was no longer being torn at but Gon’s sorrow didn’t leave him.   
“Let go of him now.” I used my nen to push everyone out of my way as I approached the man, he was not powerful, but he did have absolute control of his nen, enough so that he could influence another’s nen. His control was no where near compared to mine.   
“Are you going to make me, little girl.” I forgot I hadn’t put my hoodie back on, it was still around my waist.   
“Yes.” My nen thickened around him, he put a layer of his own nen as a defense. For as much control as he had he lacked stamina, people want power before endurance. I prodded at his defenses; a vein appeared along his temple as he began to strain.  
“take him then.” He threw Killua at me, my nen was already solidly around him, when it connected with me it cushioned his blow and I caught him without a problem.  
“Iku…” he looks at me with shame filled eyes. I offered a reassuring smile   
“your nen’s getting stronger already.” I set him down, he sat and caught his breath, my nen already caring for the familiar.   
“are you hurt?” I would execute this man right now if Killua answered right.  
“Nah, I’m fine.”  
“and Gon?”   
Killua’s eyes darkened and his jaw tensed “someone told him his father would be disappointed in him… Gon didn’t take it well.  
“don’t forget this one!” the man threw Gon next but he was even easier to catch, I tossed him to Killua and caught the man’s wrist when he tried to punch me.  
“You thought it was a good idea to use Gon as a decoy, you think you’re the only one with nen training.” I lifted him into the air and slammed him into the ground, the bricks cracking under the pressure.   
“how…” he stared up at me as if he had never met his equal let alone someone so much stronger.   
“you’re actually much stronger than me but you have no stamina, you used your nen too quickly and now you are weakening by the second.” I used mirror but only to copy the effects of his nen, his own nen’s weight increased and he was pressed into the ground.   
“What… how… how are you doing this?” he yelled. I look to Killua, he was trying to comfort Gon who had unshed tears in his eyes.   
“Is he the one that says that to Gon?” I ask.   
“No.” Killua pointed to another man “It was him, he knew Gon from passed festivals apparently, he knew, Gon’s parents.”  
I walk through the crowd and yanked him up by the collar of his shirt. “Him?” Killua nodded I wrapped my hand around his neck and twisted. The snap was loud in the silence of the crowd, Gon didn’t even flinch. I went back to the other man, still being crushed by his own nen.   
“what’s your name.”  
“Vic.” He grunted, it must be hard to talk with that much weight.  
“would you have killed him had I not shown up.”  
“If he didn’t—”   
“would you have killed him, yes or no?” I look him in the eye. He glared at me but grit his teeth and struggled to nod.   
“yeah.”  
I increased the pressure of his nen and crushed him. He couldn’t even scream.   
“someone… someone stop them.” I don’t know who says it but there was not one person who could. I knelt down beside Gon and smile.  
“come on, kid, lets go.” I take his hand and Killua’s hand and guide both boys to their feet.   
“ST-stop!” that same person yelled. I threw my nen outward, my intent to harm mostly suppressed. My nen knocked them over easily. They were quite.   
“the next town isn’t too far and it’s right near the boat I’ll be taking to my own home.” They clung to my hands like a lifeline.   
“I won’t bother you boys too long.”   
Gon sniffled. Killua kept glancing at Gon. I should have made both those guys suffer before I killed them.   
“it’s not far boys, don’t forget to practice your nen.” I was surprised when both of them did. They kept it it just around their forms but it was a steady nen. 

The longer the silence the more I wished I hadn’t killed them so fast. I felt Gon’s sorrow in his nen and Killua’s distress in his. These was kids, who thought they could possibly treat children like this.   
“Do you think he was right?” Gon’s voice was tiny.  
“Of course not!” Killua snaps “that guy didn’t know what he was talking about.”   
“are you sure?” Gon sounded on the verge of tears.   
“Gon, I don’t see how anyone could be disappointed in you.” I look him in the eyes and rested my hand on his shoulder.   
“but he says—”   
“He says what he says because he thought it would get you to do what he wanted and that is it.” I pulled him into a hug and squeezes him.  
“I don’t know your parents but I do know you and I am proud of you, Gon.”   
“you are?” he hiccupped and his arms circled around me.  
“of course I am.” I used the lightest of touches of lullaby on him.   
“I—I—” his arms tightened “I miss my parents!” he wailed and hugged me. I sat on the ground and pulled him into my lap.  
“it’s okay to miss them, Gon.” I rubbed circles into his back.   
“it is?” he cried harder   
“of course it is, you should never have been taken from them.” I combed my fingers through his hair and hold him.   
“but Killua is so strong and brave.” Gon cried “he never cries, he left his own family to help me.”   
“Killua is a special kind of friend, he did what he had to do to help his friend even if it would upset his family.” I grab Killua’s wrist and pull him down beside us and wrapped my other arm around his shoulder.   
“Killua is a very special friend, Gon, always keeps him close but remember that you should never compare yourself to your friends. Friends are there to help each other.” He might have been a little old to cradle but he needed to feel safe right now. Killua was quite, he didn’t know how to help Gon, he didn’t know that the only thing you can do when a friend is hurting is be there.   
“I’m going to use lullaby on you, Gon.” I warned him, “when you wake up you’re going to feel a lot better.” I put him to sleep quickly, his form stilled, his tears stopped and his hand latched onto my arm.   
“Do I get a little back story here?” I ask “are his parents dead? And what does your family have to do with everything?”  
Killua looks so helpless I reached out, the residue of my lullaby still on the tips of my fingers and combed them through his hair, he relaxed and leaned against my shoulder.   
“Thanks I guess.” He mumbled.  
“Don’t ever thank me,” I wrapped my arms tightly around both boys and put them to sleep. I felt him enter my nen long before I saw him.  
“you were supposed to make him stronger.” Killua’s brother stood over us, I slid both boys to the side and stood in front of them.   
“He’s gotten stronger,” I drew my nen inward, storing it up because I needed to be strong enough now.   
“I’ll be taking my brother and his friends, it’s time he returned home and for our parents to finish the job on the boy.”  
“I hope for your sake you’re not talking about killing Gon.”  
“of course I am, that is the job we were paid for and certain mistakes of the past make it especially important that we finish this job.”  
“You’re talking about Hisoka.” My nen thickened into a weapon, I activated my mirror.   
“I am, now step aside. You have no right to keep my brother from me.” Illumi advanced without hesitation, of course he wouldn’t hesitate, he was strong, he had the advantage.  
“You have no right to call him your brother.” I pulsed my nen outward and knocked him away, he was caught off guard by that move, it’s not in my regular arsenal but it is in my arsenal.  
“fine, I’ll kill you first.” The scariest thing about him was how indifferent that phrase was to him.   
“try it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading. and any Kudos I receive.   
> I'd love to know what you're thinking and what you think is going to happen.   
> As always see you tomorrow  
> XOXO


	21. Chapter 21: Killua

“Get away from him!” Iku’s voice made me stir but Illumi’s hand a few inches from me jolted me awake, I leapt back straight into the tree behind. Iku tackled him into the ground and they struggled, Iku was actually holding her own. She matched him in speed and absorbed his blows  
“she really is strong enough.” I couldn’t believe my own eyes, someone was really standing against Illumi.  
“You don’t deserve him!” she grabs his face and shoves it into the ground. He kicked her away, sending her flying across the ground. She crashed into a few trees but she bounced back, their nen was insane. Iku’s was powerful and willful. Illumi’s was like our whole family, cutting and precise. His nen felt like it was cutting into me just being near it.   
“Get out of here!” Iku yelled. I met her eyes and knew exactly what she wanted. I grabbed Gon and threw him onto my back in one swoop and took off deeper into the woods. A piece of me knew that this was pointless, it was Illumi, he was too strong, he always got what he wanted but another piece, the piece that felt Iku’s comfort and watched her stand up for two kids she didn’t know and hearing how she was strong enough, not the strongest, not strong, she was strong enough, that piece, believed she would win this.  
“Killua.” Illumi’s hands grabbed me. I threw Gon down and grabbed Illumi back.  
“Killua?” Gon was only half awake, it must be Iku’s ability still in effects, she wanted him to rest.   
“It’s time to come home and stop this nonsense.”  
“It’s not nonsense.” I kicked at him but he caught it easily. “I don’t want to do what you guys do anymore.”  
“We are a family—”  
“Get off him.” Iku’s fist slammed into him and sent him crashing through the tree. she grabbed Gon’s arm and he jerked like he was just shocked.  
“what’s happening?” he gave himself a shake and took in the scene.  
“Illumi is here, go.” She shoves him into me and we took off.   
“What are you doing, Killua, we have to help Iku” Gon didn’t fight my grasp  
“She told us to go, Gon, she can handle it.”  
“Are you sure?” Gon kept looking back,   
“Gon, focus, she told us to go, we have to go.” I leapt over a fallen trunk, dragging Gon with me “do you trust her or not, Gon?” I already knew his answer. I wasn’t surprised when he ran with me after that, he trusted her on sight. He had a knack for reading people.   
“where are you going brother?” Illumi reached for me.  
“Away from you!” Iku leapt and kicked him into the ground a crater opening up to bury him. “keep going!” IKu grabs Illumi and threw him in the opposite direction.   
“nuisance, I’ll just kill you first.” Illumi growled. I froze he can’t really… can he?  
“Killua.” Gon released my hand and darted toward the fight.  
“Gon!” I reached for him but he escaped my grasp.   
“try this on for size!” Gon leapt and aimed a powerful kick but, as expected, Illumi dodged and snatched him out of the air.   
“Look at that, one down.” He turned his eyes on me “one to go.” Illumi made one move torward me and then Iku was there.  
“I told you not to touch him.” Her eyes darkened again, like at the last town. Her nen pulsed and grew covering the expanse of the woods around us.   
“What the… I didn’t know she could…”  
“Iku is so strong.” Gon, dangling from Illumi’s grip even he stopped to watch.   
“Her control is…” Her nen tore up the ground and knocked over trees as it expanded outward but it didn’t touch either Gon or myself. Illumi released Gon to activate his own defensive ability.   
“Illumi is really gonna fight?” His nen had a red tint to it. his killing intent made it heavier but I was safe in Iku’s nen.  
“He’s so strong?” Gon rejoined me finally.  
“I told you that already.” I snapped “we have to go.”   
“Yeah…” Gon grabbed my hand and dragged me away. For just a second, I was scared of stepping out of Iku’s nen but it followed us.   
“We have to go.” Gon lead us, running faster and faster, his hand was cold.  
“Iku’s using her nen to protect us, we’re distracting her.” Gon’s panic made me panic even more. This couldn’t be it, Illumi couldn’t win after all this. I don’t want to Gon to die.  
“Gon–”  
“Got you.” Illumi nails dug into me as he snatched me up, his nen still didn’t penetrate Iku’s.  
“We’re going home now brother.” He wrapped his arm around my neck and held me there.  
“I’m going to kill your friends so you don’t have a reason to leave me again.”  
“Illumi don’t!” I struggle against his hold, his nen prodded at Iku’s but her’s didn’t give, I was still safe but where was Iku?  
“Killua!” Gon charged forward.   
“NO, DON’T!” I tried to grab Illumi’s arm to stop him but he threw his sharpened nen out in a wave.  
“Gon!” the ground exploded in a mess of grass and branches and dirt. And when it cleared enough to see, he was gone.  
“Gon… no…” I lost feeling, everything was numb. “Why…” my own nen “Why couldn’t you just leave him alone!” my nen expanded outward “Why do you have to ruin everything! Why couldn’t you just go away, I hate you, Illumi, I hate you!”  
“You don’t mean that.” Illumi holds onto me without a problem no matter how much nen I pushed out no matter how hard I tried to make it hurt him.   
“I hate you, I hope Iku kills you!” I kicked and struggled and willed my nen to be stronger, cut deeper, kill him, I wanted him dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Always thanks so much for reading, thanks you for the kudos and let me know whats on your mind?  
> you ace a test? congrats! you land the job you wanted? I'm so proud of you?  
> See you tomorrow... or later tonight  
> XOXO


	22. Chapter 22: Iku

“Iku,” Gon clung to me as I ran him deeper into the woods.  
“Killua is alone with him.” Gon was shaking, that much nen, the barrier I put around him and Killua would have saved his life but a lot of damage would have been dealt.  
“Illumi won’t kill his brother, he will kill you.” The trees finally broke and I found the beach I had been looking for “follow the shoreline. Get to the docks, I’ll send Killua right after I get him back. I need you guys to be safe before I can fight Illumi at my best.”  
“but –”  
“I need you to listen to me, Gon. My nen stays around you until I get back, if you focus you can feel how I’m doing through that nen, I’ll send a few pulse’s when Killua is on his way to you.”  
“But, Iku!.” He grabs my arm to stop me from leaving.  
“Gon, trust me.” I I looks him in the eye, he was scared and he was trembling and he was too young to be involved in any of this.  
“I’m scared.” He grabs my hand “I don’t want to lose Killua.”  
“it’s okay.” I smiles at him erasing any of my own doubts and tousled his hair. “big sis will take care of everything.” Looking at him, his eyes big and staring at me as if I was the only light at the end of a dark tunnel. He reminded me so much Hisahito I didn’t want to let him go.  
“Okay.” He let my hand go and I bolted using my nen to boost me. I would kill Illumi right here, right now. I would not let him hurt Killua, there was no way he was going to win this, I would not fail again.  
Killua’s nen was distressed and then angry. It swelled with sorrow, with helplessness. He was too young, he shouldn’t feel so hopeless.  
“I hate you, Illumi!” He cried out, struggling in his brothers arm, tears streaming down his face. “you ruin everything!”  
“I can just take you.” Illumi told him “if they care for you so much they’ll come for you, right?”  
“I hope they don’t, Iku will get Gon home.” He struggled, his nen was leaking out to fast, he was trying to get stronger in all the wrong ways,  
“Killua stop!” I pushed my nen out in a wave, it slammed into Illumi before he could react. Killua fell down, I snatched him out of the air and landed in a roll, holding him tightly, his hair tickled my skin and it felt like Marise.  
“Iku?” He looks at me like he was seeing a ghost “you’re okay.”  
“course I am.” I offered him the same smile I gave to Gon, the same smile I gave to my brothers when they was scared. “I told you, we’re walking to the next town together.”  
“I–”  
“Now get going to Gon while I finish this up.” I tousled his hair and nudged him toward Gon.  
“If you have trouble let my nen lead you.” I hugged him one last time and sent him off.  
“You’re not going anywhere.” Illumi reached for him, I kicked him up then back down. He grabs my wrist and threw me.  
“Iku!” Killua hesitated. I didn’t have a choice. I forced the nen around Gon to attract the nen around Killua.  
“Iku!”  
“Go, Killua.” I activated my mirror full force “It’s going to be okay.” His eyes was wide as my nen dragged him to Gon. He says something but Illumi grabs me and introduced my face to the ground.  
“you can’t beat me, Iku and there is no deal to save you this time.” He tore me up from my makeshift grave and threw me again. My ribs cracked against the tree trunk, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs. I absorbed the impact into my mirror but I didn’t want that damage later, I could fight through it now.  
“Why even bother with him, either of them.” Illumi wrapped my hair around his hand and dragged me up to his eye level “they’re nothing to you.”  
“Why should you care, all you’ve done is hurt him.” I kicked, he blocked, I mirrored the energy.  
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand the importance of family legacy, you can’t trace your line back farther than your dead mother.”  
“I know you expected that to hurt me but I’d have to remember her for that.”  
My face stung before I registered the movement of his hand.  
“you should stay out of family business.”  
“it really eats you up inside that Killua hates you so much, huh.” I could at least see his hand coming this time.  
“He’s a Shinu, first and foremost, he thinks he has a friend, he thinks he needs one for the moment, once the job is finished, Killua will continue his training.”  
“I have two plans to kill you right now.” I think I have enough.  
“How prepared of you, would you like to share.”  
“I just hope this doesn’t kill me but if I take you with me, I won’t be too upset.” Gon and Killua ere back together, I took my nen back and collected all of his hits into one concentrated burst.  
Can’t believe I don’t get to kill him after all… I’m sorry Hisahito I’m sorry Marise  
“What are you doing?” Illumi was too confident in his own abilities to be wary of anyone else. I latched onto his arm, fusing our nens, he looks at my hand, curious but unconcerned.  
“that’s a high level technique, you should be stronger.”  
“you’re about to see it.” my inside burned with the built up energy, i condensed it again, dre more nen and condensing it again. Draining just about every bit of nen from my body. Left enough, just barely enough.  
“So are you strong but too soft hearted to handle it or are you so inexperienced you don’t kno how to use it.” he tried to let go of me but our nens holds us together.  
“I’m not all that strong.” My body ached and burned.  
“you are not strong enough to keep me from Killua.” His eyes was flat, he holds no fear, no care, nothing.  
“you are not strong enough to save Gon.” He didn’t even smile, in his confidence.  
“you are not strong enough to defeat me.”  
“Only one way to find out.” The world exploded in light and pain. So hot it stung, so cold it cut, so heavy it crushed. my senses was overloaded and shut down and the world that had exploded became nothing.  
The world did come back. I stared up at a dakGond sky, the combination of our nens shattering the earth’s natural nen here. Things may never grow here again.  
“you’re safe boys.” I sighed and a smile began to tug at my lips.  
“from you, yes.” Illumi’s voice chased any joy I had felt. He lay a fe feet away from me, pushing himself to his feet. He winced and limped but he got up and I couldn’t, that was everything.  
“I hope the second plan is better thought out for your sake.” He swayed on his feet, his nen almost as depleted as mine. My second plan  
He gathered the remainder of his nen in his hand. With a sharp nen like that, he was going to stab me, which was a little anticlimactic for my taste.  
My second plan I barely had enough nen for my second plan. If I don’t finish this now, I’m dead and so are the boys.  
I started to hum, my nen leaked out slowly, wrapping around Illumi.  
“your plan is to sing me a lullaby?” he shook his head and sighed “I really thought you might have something better than that after that last maneuver you pulled.” He raised his hand “you’re as dissappointing as the rest.”  
Stop my nen was weak but I still had absolute control.  
“what?” his eyes widened a fraction of an inch but it was a reaction which is mroet han I had gotton from him this whole time.  
Die  
He fell to his knees, I pushed more nen onto him, the more nen I had on him the more control I had, with this littlbe bit left it was a coin flip as to how much I could get him to do. People like him had mental training they knew how to stay in control. I had to have more control,more stamina, if I could outlast him then I win,  
die  
his hand raised to his neck, his nen laced hand cut into the sensitive flesh of his neck easily. His eyes was back to normal, he was focused.  
Die  
My will forced over his, his willpower decided this battle. His hand didn’t move so much as an inch.  
Die! Die! Die!  
I willed his hand to budge, I forced more nen out, the last bit, the amount meant to keep me alive. His hand moved  
Die  
“you should practice more if you’re going to play with another’s will.” He looks at me, his hand dropped and his nen washed over me. I felt my own will being manipulated. My nen settled into something passive, neutral.  
“If my brother cares for you as much as you think he and his friend will come right back home.” Illumi was exhausted, that much was obvious but he stayed on his feet, he grabs my arm and dragged me behind him.  
“I’m ready.” He spoke into a phone and not a few seconds later there was a helicopter lowering down a rope ladder.  
“IKU!” Gon’s voice felt like a knife twisting in my gut.  
No, run, get away from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I hope you're enjoying this story and continue to follow along, i post every day.  
> As always see you tomorrow  
> XOXO


	23. 23: Gon

“Do not come for me!” Iku yelled, as Illumi secured Iku under his arm  
“Iku!” I chased after him but Killua grabbed my arm   
“You heard what she said.” Killua’s voice was quiet.  
“I don’t care! We have to help him!” I yanked on my arm but Killua refused to let go.   
“Killua!” I yelled “we have to get him, it’s you’re crazy family–”  
“We can’t get her back right now. We can’t beat him head on.”   
“But-” I watch Killua’s eyes harden.  
“But we are going to get her back.”   
“But you just said-”  
Killua smirked “Good thing I don’t listen to her anyway, huh.”  
I couldn’t help but smile “right.”  
“We’re going to need some amazing plan though.” Killua flopped back onto the ground and folded his arms behind his head.   
“I think I have one.” I told him, he looks at me,, eyebrow raised.   
“You do?”  
“Well, how strong do you think Hisoka is?” I had seen him fight a few times but only Killua knew how strong is brother was.   
“If I had to put money on it, I think Hisoka and my brother are probably pretty close.” He sat up. “but how are we even going to find him, we never find him, he finds us.”   
“Hisoka!” I yelled as loud as I could “Hisoka! Hisoka.”  
“Gon, what are you doing?” Killua just watched me from the ground.  
“Well, he’s got to be near us. He always shows up when we need him.” I told him.  
“If he was nearby right now he would have shown up to help us before.” Killua had a point  
“Yeah but–”  
“Unless of course he’s scared of my brother.” Killua’s smile curled, I knew that smile.   
“I don’t blame him, my brother’s got to be one of the strongest people alive, aside from our dad of course.” Killua stretched and yawned “I bet Hisoka is nowhere near as strong as Illumi.”  
I felt his nen  
“Careful little Zoldyck, you’re making dangerous accusations.” Hisoka came out of the woods like a shadow that just came to life.   
“I knew you were near by!” excitement moved me before my mind could stop me. “Illumi took, Iku, can you please help us get him back?”  
Hisoka didn’t even consider it, he waved his hand and sighed  
“Why should I waste my precious time helping them?”  
“For the same reason you help us when we really need it.” I offered.   
“you couldn’t begin to guess my reasons for helping you, Gon.” He tapped my nose with his fingernail “and I promise you they don’t apply to Iku.”   
“your reasons for helping Gon and me might be different.” Killua stood toe to toe with Hisoka “but you’ll help us because you think she’s interesting.”   
“interesting yes.” Hisoka tousled Killua’s hair “but still a waste of time.”  
“It’s not like you don’t have time to waste, you’re always following us around you can’t be that busy.” Killua sighed and shrugged exaggeratedly “But I understand if it’s because you can’t beat Illumi, he is really strong.  
“I live for powerful opponents,” Hisoka bent all the way over to look Killua in the eye “your brother is powerful but not special, he’d make a good opponent but believe it or not, we’re friends.”   
“Yeah right, Illumi doesn’t have any friends.” Killua got right back in Hisoka’s face. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, Killua and Hisoka don’t really get along.   
“This’ll surprise you, little Zoldyck, but you brother did the exact same thing for me that you did with Gon.”  
“What are you even talking about” Killua snaps at him  
“Killua, stop fighting with him, we need him to get Iku back.” I tried to stop a full on fight, Hisoka has never seriously injured us but he never turns down a fight either.   
“Then talk to your friend.” I covered Killua’s mouth before he could say anything else “Tell Illumi to let Iku go.”   
Hisoka chuckled, tapping his fingers along his bottom lip. “I think we can all agree if it was that easy, he wouldn’t have bothered taking her in the first place.”   
“please, Hisoka, we need her.” I would beg if I had to. “She keeps saving us, just like you do.”  
“Hmmm…” Hisoka did look like he was thinking about it.  
“She does make it easier to keep you two out of trouble.” He looks up at the sky, like maybe that had the answer he was looking for.   
“but Illumi does get irritated when I get into family business.” Hisoka tapped at his lip again, finally he smiles “sounds fun, when do we leave?”  
“Are you serious!” Killua stepped forward   
“Killua, don’t” I stepped into his path and wrapped my arms around him to stop him.  
“You were just gonna pretend you weren’t gonna help?” Killua tried to push me out of the way. “How long were you going to do that for?”  
“As long as I did, little Zoldyck.” Hisoka tapped Killua’s nose.  
“Iku is in danger, we don’t have time to waste.”  
“Then why are you wasting it?” Hisoka smiles, Killua went red.  
“I don’t need your help, I’ll save her myself.” He yelled and then Killua was just gone.  
“Keep in mind the only reason you are alive is because I have chosen not to kill you and the only reason I am helping is because all three of you now owe me a favor.”   
“A favor?” I ask.   
“everything has cost, Gon.” Hisoka threw Killua at me. I grabbed him but lost my balance and we both fell.   
“You never ask for something back before.”   
“You’ve never ask for my help before either.” He placed his hand on my head “do we have a deal?””  
“no way!” Killua shoves Hisoka’s hand off me. “who knows what you could ask for.”  
“Then Iku is on their own.” Hisoka patted his head and started to walk away.   
“Hisoka, wait.” I grabbed Killua and dragged him behind me “We’ll do it, we’ll owe you a favor.”   
“of course you will, now are you ready to go or not?”   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading,   
> As always I will see you tomorrow.  
> Have a great day  
> XOXO


	24. Iku

I woke with my hands and ankles bound, laying on the cold ground, my skin directly on the concrete told me I did not have my hoodie on.  
“Who took my hoodie!” I snap “I want it back by the time I hit 0… 3...2… 1.”

My hoodie landed on me just before I was about to say 0,   
“I didn’t actually expect it back but thank you.” I wriggled into an upright position.  
“What is it you want?”  
“I’m supposed to have my brother back by now and completing the last job, Instead I get you.”   
I smile “sorry to disappoint.”  
Illumi considered me for a moment, “you seem to have some meaning to Killua.” he dropped his head to the side as if trying to see inside her head. “Does he have feelings for you.”   
“Ew no, I’m 23 for the 500th time.”  
“Illumi just watched me with his blank eyes “there’s no point lying to me.”  
“Why would I lie about my age? You seem competent enough to tell when someone is lying.   
I pointed out.  
“You can’t possibly be older than Killua, it’s not even the fact that your considerably smaller than him, it’s your face.”  
“I just have good skin, I am an adult.”   
Illumi considered her for a moment “I don’t actually care, but you are going to tell me what I want to know.”  
“If it’s anything about Killua… I couldn’t help you, he’s not a very open person, keeps to himself and what not.”  
“While there is truth there, I don’t need any of that, I want to know about you.”  
“and why would you care about me?”   
“You’ve tainted my brother, I should have just killed you.” He stood over me crossed his arms.   
“and yet I’m still alive.” I sat back.   
“We’ll see for how long.” He hooked his hand under my arm and dragged me across the floor.  
“gonna kill me so soon, this was just getting fun.”  
“Don’t get excited.” Illumi threw me against a chair. “You’re not getting off that easy.” He secured my wrists in straps.  
“I’ll have Killua kill you and Gon.” Illumi yanked the straps so that they cut into my skin.   
“that should bring him back to his senses.”   
“He won’t do it.” I sat back and got comfy, I knew what torture looked like and I had a feeling this was going to hurt. “he wouldn’t do it even if I asked him.”  
“enough about Killua.” Illumi walked around the chair and stood behind me, he holds a wooden spoon on front of me.   
“tell me about your abiltes, particularly the last one you used on me, plan b.”   
“wooden spoon is super old school.” I answered instead. “are you going to shock me if I don’t answer?”  
“You’re getting shocked either way.” He took the spoon away. “you were only getting the spoon if you answered”  
The electrical current should have been scarier than it was, I had been shocked before, I definitely didn’t want to do it again but here we are.  
Getting shocked feels a lot like getting your veins filled with gasoline and then lit on fire. 

My vision was out, I hope that came back eventually, my body felt like it was burned from the inside.   
“you take electric shock much better than the average person let try something else.” Illumi’s hands were large but his fingers was long, encompassing my wrists and over lapping.   
“I see you have some tolerance training.” His hands got hot, and then searing. I jerked away or tried to at least, between that grip and the straps securing me I didn’t get far.   
“your ne-nen chang-changed.” I grit my teeth, he was going to burn straight through my hands.   
“I am far more advanced than you can fathom. I have two nen properties, sharp and hot.”   
I tried to summon some nen as a protective layer but I was out, the only nen left in my body was keeping me alive.   
“and you’re tapped out.” 

“how-how did you recov-recover so quick-ly.” I ground my teeth, I forced my body to stay still, sudden movement made pain worse.   
“Enough questions, focus on the pain, Iku.” Illumi didn’t even laugh, his indifference was possibly the most irritating thing about all of this.   
“Why aren’t you screaming?” his tone was so conversational as he burned through my wrists, I couldn’t even feel my hands anymore.   
“I’ve had worse.” I bit out   
“have you?” His vise like grip clamped around my arms and he ripped me out of the chair. My head cracked against the concrete, my broken ribs still screaming at me.   
A foot plowed into my stomach, stomped on my knee, my ankle. I felt the pain, I really did, I grit my teeth and I grunted and spat out blood after each impact. It did hurt, it just wasn’t the most painful I had ever experienced. 

“You are the worst kind to torture.” He finally stopped  
“Why’s that?” Everything hurt from my bleeding internals to the tips of my hair.   
“No matter how much I hurt you, you’ve been through worse.”  
“yeah, how do you know that?” I rolled my eyes “cause the electric shock wasn’t fun and my seared wrists sting.”   
Illumi grabs my hair and yanked me up so that we were eye level. My vision came back, a bit blurry but I could see again.   
“it’s your eyes, you’ve already lost the most important thing to you.” Illumi was absolutely expressionless.  
“I supposed you weren’t always strong enough.”  
“no… I wasn’t.” There was no harm in admitting this much. The room was dead silent for a bit, as if he lost interest and didn’t want to put away his toys.  
“because of you the only thing my brother has been thinking about lately is being strong enough instead of being the strongest. He has it repeating in his head over and over again.” He finally gave me something, his mouth twitched, annoyance.  
“I thought someone with the kind of precision control you have over your nen would be beneficial for him but you have limited yourself. Of course you would do the same to any student you took on.”  
My anger ticked, I don’t know why. he hadn’t really said anything I don’t already know about myself but… it was the way he spoke about his brother.  
“you think you know so much about Killua. You are so blind by what you want him to be, you can’t see how broken he is. What’s worse is that his own brother broke him.” A real brother would have protected him.”  
“and you think you are better for him than me? You think you can teach him better than me?”  
“maybe I can’t teach him to be a better assassin than you could but I know he sleeps peacefully when I’m around and trembles in fear at the thought of you.”   
My face stung, it took me a second to register the hand being withdrawn, he hit me so fast I didn’t even see it but that was the first break.   
So he can be gotten to.

“That was much faster than I thought they’d be…” Illumi’s interest was mild but it was a change to his tone “and what is Hisoka doing here?” he dropped me, my broken bones and bruised kidneys trembling at the impact “stay here.”  
“didn’t know you could be funny.” I ground my teeth, the pain washed over me, everything that could possibly ache did. I could take more torture but fighting was out.   
“wait, what did he say?” I ordered my eyes to open, they did not. “they? As in Gon and Killua?” I pressed my nen out but it wouldn’t go, it wouldn’t even form around me, I didn’t even have enough to stimulate any healing.   
“I’m going to beat both of them if that really is them.” My vision got fuzzy again. Exhaustion fell over me  
What’s happening… I know what it is… my stupid abilities are forcing me to go to sleep to heal… I hate these abilities…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting super close to the end of the first book. i'm so excited to share more with you guys and I really hjope to see some comments soon. please and thank you  
> as always see you tomorrow  
> XOXO


	25. 25: Gon

“Are you sure this is the way to go?” I ask Hisoka.  
“I’m sure if you try you’ll be able to find, Iku.” Hisoka broke off from us and ran another way.  
“Where are you going?”  
“To play with an old friend.” he smiles over his shoulder at us and disappeared down the hall.  
“what do we do Killua?”   
“All the better if he doesn’t help.” Killua yanked me around a corner “then we don’t owe him anything.”   
“Do you feel him?” By the look on his face, Killua knew exactly where he was going.   
“Can’t you?” He sounded surprised “it’s faint but it’s this way.” Killua took the lead easily, he was always in the lead, he always knew what to do.   
“I…”  
“Don’t try so hard, her nen is familiar, just let yours find hers.” He pulled me down more hallways and down a flight of stairs.   
I tried to do what he says, to let my nen look but how do you look with your nen how do you – “I feel him!” I laugh “I feel him he’s so close!” my excitement died quickly “its so… small.”   
“Illumi’s probably been torturing her.” Killua came to a stop in front of the door. “not to mention the fight, I’ll be surprised if she conscious at all.”   
Iku… I’m sorry, we never should have left you I was scared when Killua pushed open that door and I saw Iku on the ground, she was covered in blood, her hoodie tattered her face swollen.   
“feel her nen.” Killua reminded me. I reached for her. her nen was small but it wasn’t lessening it was increasing, slowly but her heart was beating and she was healing.   
“She says before her ability likes to activate without her telling it too, she’s healing herself.” Killua was always so calm in these situations.   
“right.” I ran over to him, he didn’t wake up. He looks so much worse up close. “Hey, Iku.” I slid her onto my back as gently as possible.   
“don’t be mad that we came, you know there was no way we were going to leave you behind though.” I nodded tossed his hoodie to Killua.  
“let’s go.”   
“take some nen, Iku, heal faster so we can get out of here.” I tried to offer it but she didn’t take it. “we could really use your help getting out of here but if you’re too tired, don’t worry about it, we’ll take care of everything.”  
“Gon, lets go.” Killua was on high alert, I doubt there was anything he couldn’t hear in the immediate area.  
“Let’s get going, Iku, you’ve got your brothers to go see.” I took off, Killua following right beside me, he led us through the corridors and down hallways and then he stopped.   
“Oh no…” Killua’s voice and fear did not mix.  
“There you are, Killua, you really have gotten better.” Illumi stood at the end of the hall, his nen reaching out.  
“Killua…” I fell back a few steps, Iku was still passed out.   
“Maybe she wasn’t completely useless after all.” Illumi walked down the hall, his steps were precise, his nen reaching out for us.   
“It’s time to come home now brother.” Illumi’s nen reached for Killua the red tint making it menacing.   
“Now now, Illumi, what’s the rush?” Hisoka stepped out of thin air. I grab Killua’s arm and yanked him back with me. Whatever power Illumi had over Killua broke and Killua stood beside me ready to fight.”  
“Hisoka, you’re much stronger than the last time we fought.” Illumi’s attention was on Hisoka but I felt his nen circling us, we couldn’t get away right now.  
“and the last time we fought I still won, do you think you’ll fair better now?” Hisoka walked up to Illumi and cupped his chin in his hand.  
“I will fight you another time, Hisoka, I have family business to attend to.” Illumi started to walk passed Hisoka but Hisoka’s arm shot out to block him.   
I elbow nudged Killua, “what do we do?”   
“I… I don’t know.” Killua looks as lost as I felt. Iku would know what to do, Iku always knows what to do.   
“What was the wager last fight?” Hisoka smirked at Illumi as he circled him.   
“3 favors.” Illumi answered without hesitating “Are you calling one in now?”  
“leave the kids alone,” Hisoka says “they’re getting stronger, their teacher isn’t as useless as they feigns.   
“I will train my own brother” Illumi started again and again Hisoka wrapped his arms around Illumi hugging him from behind.   
“let them go now, give them a time limit, see how strong they can get and then you can polish away the rough edges. Who knows maybe Gon will make a good partner for Killua.”  
“you’ll use up all your favors if I agree to this.” Illumi warned. I tried to step back but Illumi’s eyes snaps straight to me.  
“that’s not a smart idea.” Illumi’s gaze pierced straight through me.   
“eyes over here, Illumi,” Hisoka pulled Illumi back by his chin with a fingertip. “we’re bargaining.”   
“there’s no bargaining.” Illumi shook him off.  
“it’s worth two favors and I’ll keep your baby brother and your target out of trouble until your time limit is up.” Hisoka ran his fingers through Illumi’s hair the same way he does to Iku.   
“What do you say, old friend?”   
I had to have imagined it but I think Illumi smiles for just a second.  
“Alright, Hisoka.” Illumi surrounded us in his nen.  
I grabs Killua and pulled him closer “but you said–”   
“you have one year to complete your task, but I will be testing you, should you all fail my test the deal is off.” he looks to Hisoka “and the cost of 2 favors is final.”  
“sounds fun to me.” Hisoka kissed Illumi’s cheek and combed his fingers through Illumi’s hair. “I’ll be seeing you around.” Hisoka walked passed us and Illumi’s nen rescinded.   
“hurry along, before I change my mind.” Illumi turned away from us.   
Watching him walk away and feel Iku’s blood drip down my neck. “HEY!” I yelled, everyone seemed to freeze “you’re gonna pay for what you did to Iku.”   
“Gon.” Killua tugged on my arm.  
“I’ll make sure of it, Illumi. You hear me.” My knees shook but my anger was greater than my fear.   
Illumi glanced over his shoulder at me “I look forward to it.” 

Kie grabs my arm and dragged me behind him and Hisoka “lets go, you idiot.” He pushed me ahead.   
Outside Hisoka patted our heads and smiles something that was supposed to be reassuring, I think.   
“You all owe me one favor or one of you owes me three favors. I’m not picky.” He kissed our heads, even Iku’s “and I’ll be watching you all everywhere you go, but you’ll never know where I am.” He stepped and his nen vanished and I couldn’s see him anywhere.   
“do you–”  
“I have no idea.” Killua interrupted “lets just get out of here before my dad finds out I was home.”   
“right, we need to get Iku some place he can rest.” I double checked to make sure he wasn’t gonna fall.  
“alright, lets go.” Killua charged forward and I followed his lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> goodness glaciers we are almost there, maybe another chapter today and then I'm gonna take a break on this story and probably post the 2nd story next month because i am writing the 4th book this month but i'm gonna do it in a week so i'm gonna do that next week. follow me on ig to see updates nunchi.trash or nunchigoya on ig or tiktok  
> thank you to everyone who has been following along.  
> As always see you tomorrow  
> XOXO


	26. Iku

The boat docked and the wind hit my face like a wave of memories crashing down all at once. My stomach knotted up as my feet touched the familiar soil. Everything looks the same but felt so different. I wasn’t weak anymore. I was finally strong enough to save them.  
I walked along the familiar streets, my new hoodie stiff compared to the one that had gotten ruined in the fight. This one wasn’t as worn in but at the rate I wore it, it would be in no time. My wrists still stung, burns always take more time to heal, a bone heals better than trying to regrow skin so my wrists were bandaged, healed enough that infection wasn’t a concern.   
The town looks the same as ever, like it should have died twenty years ago, the same shops still up. The same house, the same people but older. I didn’t need to ask where to go, you don’t forget your childhood home, especially one that holds all of your and your brother’s torment.   
The rod was the same, the house was the same but I am strong enough now it was my mantra walking through the town because every few moments it seemed I was back to that small helpless child. Flinching and hiding and crying wishing for it to stop instead of stopping it myself.   
I am strong enough   
I came to the little shack that became my home after the fire. It looks abandoned but that was not new. I kicked the door open and the ceiling caved in. I expanded my nen searching for him but this place was empty.   
“the bar then.” I came all the way here for nothing, I passed the bar on my way in.  
Same smells, same roads, same people who did nothing.  
I am strong enough  
I kicked the door to the bar open, there was a few day drunks in here but mostly they minded their own business, drank and passed out. If that was the worst my father did I could have dealt with it, I could have fed the kids and got them off to school.   
“Where is he.” I demanded. Everyone stared at me, like they were looking at a ghost.   
“Iku.” The bar owner’s wife was the only one that dared speak my name.  
“You’re alive,” she just stared.  
“With no help from any of you, now where is he?”   
“Where is who, doll?” the wife took a step. No one else dared to hold my eyes, they knew I was right.  
“my step-father, where is he.” My nen pulsed and shook the building.  
“honey…” she finally did move toward me but stopped a breath away from touching me.   
“Where. Is. He.” I spoke as precisely as possible, so there would be no mistaking my demands or my intent.   
“Iku.” She finally dropped the pet names “Jed died two years ago… finally drank himself to death.”   
Time froze, my blood iced over, my heart stopped. I could not possibly have heard that right.   
“I’m sorry, sweetie.” She was still right next to me but she sounded miles away. “can I get you something?”  
I don’t know how long I was there, my mind absolutely refusing to process the information but when I finally moved it was dark outside.   
Same roads, same sounds, same ghosts.   
I am strong enough  
I am strong enough  
I am strong enough… but strong enough for what?  
“It’s not fair.” I didn’t know where I was, I should know… I grew up here I knew where everything was.  
“It’s not fair.” My tears burned rolling down my cheeks, my lungs betrayed me as they tightened.  
Glass shattered, my eyes snap toward it from reflex.   
“you stupid b–” it was a man’s voice, it wasn’t his voice because he was dead but it mind as well have been. The familiar smell of whiskey hit me full force as I stepped into the house. The mother, and child curled up in the corned, broken glass surrounded them. He was in my hand before I even decided anything.   
“I am strong enough.”   
“who the hell are you?” he smelled like his drinks of choice. The mother and child didn’t say anything.   
“give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you.” 

“you crazy–”  
I threw him out of the house enhancing my strength and boosting my speed with my nen. He crashed against the ground, his wrist broke when he failed to catch himself. I knew that this was not my stepfather but someone needed to pay.  
“what’s wrong with you!” he yelled at me, scrambling to get away. “you can’t just come into my house and throw people around, it’s not fair.”   
“fair?” I laughs, I folded over and laughed and I felt several pairs of eyes on me, more than the mother and child. I think I saw the bar owner’s wife.   
“Fair?” I ask again “you think anything is fair?” I kicked dirt at him because I could, because he couldn’t do anything about it. “I’ll tell you what’s not fair.” I slapped him and watched him cower because I could.   
“The one person I came here to kill is already dead.” I kicked him, not hard, enough to roll him over, enough to scare him “the one thing that would have made up for everything was going to be my hands making him cry and beg for my mercy my forgiveness and he is already dead.” I grabbed him by his hair and dragged him in circles.  
“That right there, that is not fair.” I laugh hysterically “I trained myself near death time and time again so that I could come back here and put the man who caused my pain, my brothers’ pain, in the ground myself and he. Is. DEAD.” I threw him down and I kicked him, hard enough to make his ribs crack. He cried out, he had tears all over his face. I knelt down and wiped his tears.  
“hey, hey.” I spoke soothingly “don’t do that, don’t cry, come on and fight me, throw bottle at me.” I grabbed his jaw and yanked him forward “or is it not fun when we fight back.” I slammed his face into the ground.  
“FIGHT BACK!” I screamed at him “Get on your feet and fight me now!” I screamed myself hoarse. “no one is going to help you, so get up and fight.” I grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him up “if you fall back down I will break each individual finger until you get back up.” I released him, he staggered but stayed up. He looked around us, there were people but they were hidden in the shadows, everyone wanted to see the drama so they can talk later, no one ever wants to help.   
“no one is going to help you, just like no one helped me or my brothers.” I raised my fists, “now fight me.”   
He charged forward, his eyes wide, tears streaming down his face. I stepped and snapped my leg up, my foot planting square in his chest. I heard a crack, he gasped and hit the ground, curling in on himself.   
“you are so weak!” I screamed at him “you are so pathetic, you-you-you…” my lungs finally released as the truth hit me. I fell to my knees and stared at this filthy pathetic, weak human being.   
“He was weak.” He had always seemed so strong, so powerful, he could do anything he wanted because he was so strong, stronger than anyone. My stepfather was never strong. He was just bigger than a few little kids. I grabbed the man and dragged him into my lap.  
“shhh… shhh… it’s okay.” I soothed, the man whimpered.  
“But someone still has to pay.” I forced my nen onto his, his was weak and under worked but it was enough.   
Die   
He didn’t need much convincing. His body seized and then his heart stopped. If I had to guess his nen forced a heart attack. I pushed him off my lap and walked back to my real childhood home, not the one we had to go to after the fire. The real keeper of my darkest and fondest memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness sooooo clooooose to the end.   
> it is 28 ch not 27 that was my bad but thank you so much for those who chose to join me and I hope you'll stick around for the rest of the series and   
> Thanks again and as Always See you tomorrow.  
> XOXO


	27. Gon

The boat was fun, I hadn’t been on a boat since I was with my parents.  
“I don’t see what’s so exciting,” Killua shrugged “but if you like it so much we’ll have to travel by boat more often.”   
“really?” I hugged him “you’re the best best friend!”  
“Alright, alright, geez.” Killua didn’t push me off so I know he was just getting all embarrassed again, I don’t know why, well, maybe I do, after seeing his family.   
“Are you sure we should have followed her?” Killua ask me.  
“Yeah, of course, he says he had to fight someone, what it they’re too strong, what if he needs us?”  
“uh… I don’t think she needed us.” Killua pointed toward the middle of the street. There as fresh blood.   
“you think that was him?” I ask, it was kind of messy considering how she killed the other guys.  
“yeah, feel her nen residue, she was angry.” Killua stood there, I didn’t understand that look he got but it was almost sad.   
“Yeah…” I did understand why his expression was new, this was the nen we felt when Iku was sleeping, the scary one.   
“get away from that kids!” a woman ran out of the bar “it’s bad luck to stand over a place a person was murdered, don’t you know.” She led us away by the arm and Killua looks at me with a smirk. I guess he had stood over a lot of murder spots. I tried not to laugh but a snort slipped out.   
“it’s not a joke.” She waved her finger at us. “although he did have it coming, belligerent drunk that man was.” She sighed and shook her head and then her eyes went somewhere.   
“little girl had seen enough I suppose and that’s our fault, we didn’t do a damn thing and we all knew what he was up to on that hill.”   
“what little girl?” I ask. The woman came back to us and tried to smile but it didn’t meet her eyes.   
“little girl grew up here, we all thought her step-father killed her years ago and she turned up yesterday completely insane but strong as all get out.”  
“yesterday?” Killua ask “was she wearing a green hoodie.”  
“Yes she was, I supposed she got sick of people doing nothing.”  
“what do you mean?” I ask.  
“She killed that man because he was hitting on his wife and their little boy, can’t say I blame her, she did what someone should’ve done for her.” The woman offered a smile “Well I’d better be back to work, you two boys stay away from that spot.”  
“Yes ma’am.” I waved to her, Killua stared at the spot. “I don’t think that’s anger.” he took a step toward the spot but I caught his arm.  
“I think that’s more like heart break.” Killua shook himself, “come on, she can’t be far.”   
“This way.” I tugged him in the direction I felt Iku, my nen just reached for him now, it was kind of cool.  
“At least you’re getting better at tracking nen.” Killua smirked at me, I knew he was teasing me but he was so far ahead I had to work harder than him to catch up.  
“isn’t this a graveyard?” I looked around  
“yep.” Killua pointed to the worn-out cemetery sign. “wait…” Killua catches my arm “is that… crying?”   
“yeah… that’s Iku crying!” I bolted, Killua easily kept the same speed.   
“look.” Killua stopped me from running straight to her and pulled him behind a big oak tree.   
“What is she doing?” I ask.   
“Grave stones.” Killua always understood before me “she… she was so protective of us because… because she couldn’t protect her brothers.” Killua’s eyes glassed over “She told us before that we remind her of her brothers. That… that’s why she doesn’t hesitate to protect us.”  
“you… you mean those are her brothers gravestones?” I didn’t want to hear that, she was supposed to come back to them, she was gonna save them.   
“Her brothers were lucky… she’s a great big sister.” I couldn’t hold back my tears, not when Iku was crying so openly, not when I could hear how broken his heart was. “But… what’s he going to do now… he’s all alone.”   
“Give her her time.” Killua caught my shoulder I didn’t even realize I was moving.   
“She’ll likely leave after this… she’s attached, emotional but that is her strength. She gets stronger when she has to protect someone… and there’s no one here for her to protect.” Killua looks at the ground.   
“he’s all alone…” I cover my mouth to muffle my own crying. “Killua… he-he’s all alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, the next chapter will be the last one. Thanks you for joining me for this ride.   
> I would really love to get a comment or two, let me know what you think.  
> It is a series and I am actually trying to be an author so any thoughts are appreciated.   
> As Always I will see you tomorrow and I hope you all have a great day and and week and I hope everything is going well in your lives


	28. Iku

The graveyard was hard to find in the dark with no nen to track but I did find it. I fell to my knees and pressed my face into the dirt trying to be as close to them as possible.   
“I’m so sorry.” I allowed myself tears now, let the grief wash over me. Their stones were simple.   
Marise  
Son, brother  
Hisahito  
Son, brother  
The night was long and dark and cold but the sun finally did rise. I stayed there before the stones. I didn’t want them to be alone anymore. I cried all night, until my tears ran out and all that was left was silent dry sobs racking my body. I reached my nen down into the ground and felt their bones, no life energy left. The ground had sucked the remainder of it and grew the flowers around their graves.   
I could stay here forever, until I died of dehydration and starvation, no one cared when I was little and helpless, no one would care now. If it wasn’t for the favor I owed Hisoka I would do just that. One should never die owing a debt, it’ll wait for your next life. That or Gon or Killua would have to fulfill it and they already rescued me, I was indebted to them as well. So, I picked myself up, I placed my hands on the boys’ grave stones and infused them with my nen. These stones would not fall ever and no one could touch them. My little brothers would not be disturbed in their only peace.  
Gathering my feeble will to live and the strength I had worked so hard for only to realize how weak our tormentor had been, I made my way out of the graveyard and back out onto the main street. I expanded my nen a bit farther and stopped once it hit two familiar nen’s. I followed their trail automatically reaching out for mine purely from familiarity.  
“Hey… you guys still following me around?” I joked, I still ached with sorrow but feeling them here did make it exponentially better. Seeing these guys again felt like maybe, as long as they existed on the same planet as me, everything was not completely hopeless.   
“What’s wrong?” The second I caught sight of their puffy eyes my nen flared. I’d kill them, I’ll kill the person who hurt them so slowly they begged me for death.   
Killua dropped to his knees and stared at me from the ground “Iku, I’d be honored if you would be my big sister.”  
“Me too.” Gon knelt beside him.   
“What?” I lost my anger, my nen settled and I just stared at them.  
“You took care of us.” Killua says “I… I… no one ever looks out for me like that. You always made sure we were fed and.., and I know I said I didn’t like your lullaby thing but… but… I actually kind of like it I just don’t know how to respond so I tell you to stop but I don’t want you to stop, okay?”  
“And you always ask us what we’re thinking and you listen to us and you make us change for bed all the time and take baths” Gon went on. “And… well… it just doesn’t feel right without you. We miss you.”  
“You miss me?” I ask  
“So…will you please, be our big sister.” They spoke in unison.  
My heart ached with sorrow and happiness. I couldn’t move. My own brothers, how would they feel, like I was replacing them? Would it upset them? Or… would they want me to protect these boys like I couldn’t protect them?  
“Look.” Killua tried to hide his tears “you need some brothers to protect and we need a big sister to teach us nen and stuff.”   
“And lullabies.” Gon threw in. “To sing us to sleep every night and do that thing when you pet our hair while we go to sleep.”  
I waited for an answer, I glanced at the gravestones behind Gon and Killua.  
“I know we can’t replace the brother’s you lost but… but.” Gon sniffled, fresh tears streaming down his face. “We just thought that, someone that’s as good a big sister as you should still be one and we… well we don’t have a big sister so…”  
I threw my arms around the boys and squeezed them in my arms.   
“You boys sure do grow on a person, huh?” Tears slid down my face and I cried kissing the tops of their heads and hugging them with all my strength.   
I will not let anything hurt you guys 

My brother’s images sat in my head, their smiles, their cries, their happiness, their fear.   
I will not fail again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the end of book 1.  
> Book 2 will be coming out next month, it is written already just needs some edits.   
> I will be focusing the rest of this month on my book coming out on Feb 3rd 2021.   
> Every Reason I Loved Her. the fanfic version is also available on here for those who can't afford to pay for reading materials. I do ask that if you read the fanfic version if you could possibly still leave a review on Amazon, Barnes and noble or good reads.   
> Thanks so much in advance and for all the support I've received through here and Fanfic net and Wattpad.   
> Please let me know if you've enjoyed this story.  
> What do you think about Iku  
> Their decisions.  
> the ending,   
> The next book will focus on Killua   
> The books are written so that each character has a focus for each book  
> book 1: Iku  
> Book2: Killua   
> Book 3: Gon  
> Book 4: Hisoka  
> Book 5: Illumi  
> Thank you all so much and i hope you come back for the next installments.

**Author's Note:**

> Note: this is a finished piece that will be posted as I read through each chapter before posting for light edits.  
> If you enjoy this story and would rather 5- 7 chapters be posted at the beginning/ end of week i can do that, other wise posts will be either every day or every other day depending on business of my own schedule.


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